Inventing the Abbotts Movie Review 1997

Appealing cast populates this sleepy, bittersweet coming-of-age story set in small town Illinois in 1957. Alice (Going), Eleanor (Connelly) and Pamela (Tyler) are the lovely daughters of wealthy Lloyd Abbott (Patton) who's determined that they'll marry well despite the temptations offered by the two working-class Holt boys. Surly stud Jacey (Crudup) holds a grudge against Lloyd for possibly cheating his deceased father in a business deal and causing whispers about his schoolteacher mother Helen's (Baker) reputation, while sweet-natured younger brother Doug (Phoenix) has his romantic ideals fixed on Pamela, who loves him in return. Not memorable, but not a complete waste of time, either. Based on the story by Sue Miller.

Distribution

Fox Home Entertainment, PO Box 900, Beverly Hills, CA 90213, Phone: (310)369-3900, Toll-free: 888-223-4FOX, Fax: (310)369-5811, URL: http://www.foxmovies.com/index1.html, Remarks: Also known as Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 110 minutes.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Romantic Drama, Brothers & Sisters, Period Piece: 1950s, Rebel Without a Cause, Books to Film: Sue Miller, Coming of Age, Sex & Sexuality, Family Drama

Screenplay

Ken Hixon

Cast

Billy Crudup, Joaquin Rafael (Leaf) Phoenix, Liv Tyler, Will Patton, Kathy Baker, Jennifer Connelly, Joanna Going, Barbara Williams

Cinematography

Kenneth Macmillan

Director

Pat O'Connor

Music

Michael Kamen

Producer

Ron Howard, Brian Grazer, Janet Meyers, Karen Kehela, Jack Cummins, Imagine Entertainment, 20th Century-Fox