User reviews

"Inventing the Abbotts" seems like the sort of movie that they just made for no particular reason. Portraying some relationships in 1957 Illinois, the movie is worth seeing. Maybe not any kind of masterpiece, but interesting. I liked the fake sideburns scene, and the, uh, scene under the table. Joaquin Phoenix was showing the same acting skills that he later brought to "Gladiator" and "Walk the Line", and Liv Tyler, Billy Crudup, and Jennifer Connelly also did quite well.

I guess that overall, there's nothing really unique here. There have been many slice-of-life stories. But this one is pretty well done with some good performances. Worth seeing.

I saw this film on a flight to Australia. I'd never heard of it but it would pass some time. In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It has a Forest Gump kind of charm but a lot less humour. It also reminded me of the early soap operas like Peyton Place in the way it portrayed 1950's America. The unfolding of the family story is well spun out so that you only gradually come to appreciate the tensions involved and indeed some of the scenes are only understood after later revelations show up a new significance. The characters were believable and the twist in the tale of the story sufficiently unexpected but predictable in retrospect that you kick yourself for not realising. A family film with little to worry the censor other than some mild fisticuffs and a small amount of what might have been referred to in the film as "fooling around". The interplay between the leading roles is exceptional, both between the two brothers and between Liv Tyler and Joaquin Phoenix.

Don't know why I didn't see of hear of this film back in 1997, but I don't remember any noise about it at all. Excellent screen play with fine characterizations by all actors; absorbing story and a true-to-life story that hits home at any time. The era was well represented by costume and settings; one of those "good little films" that get lost in the shuffle I guess. Bravo to all associated. I'll recommend it!

It is not that great movie .. I felt it is uneven sometimes. Anyway, I liked this movie because it says brotherhood could be tough bond sometimes.. other times it could be really something great, I believe great times between brothers is the common thing (or at least wish for it).

I don't know if most of people who have seen it share me my admiration of how the movie realistically & truthfully shows this great relationship ..

Billy Crudup & Joaquin Phoenix were good .. I felt like if they were good friends at least to have such a natural brother-chemistry thing.

There were a few good lines here and there .. some moments were touching.

Liv Taylor's performance was the best female performance in the movie .. not to forget Kathy Baker's performance which was very good .. Jennifer Connelly, Joanna Going & Barbara Williams weren't bad but they were so good either.

Helen Holt (Kathy Baker) is a suffered low middle-class widow, head of the Holt family, living in a small town in Illinois in 1957, with her two very different sons (Joaquin Phoenix and Billy Crudup). Lloyd Abbot (Will Patton) is a wealthy man, head of the Abbott family, with three gorgeous daughters (Jennifer Connelly, Liv Tyler and Joanna Going – can you imagine such beautiful daughters together?). The drama related to the formation of the wealthy of the Abbots through a patent of the Holt father, the rumors of the romance of Helen Holt and Lloyd Abbot in the past and the romance between the two Holt teenagers and the three Abbott daughters against Lloyd Abbott will, all of these ingredients in the plot of 'Inventing the Abbotts' could lead to a Mexican soap opera. However, the direction of Pat O'Coonor, supported by a great cast, presents a beautiful and touching movie. My vote is seven.

Title (Brazil): "Círculo de Paixões" ("Circle of Passions")

The amazing brotherly resemblance between JOAQUIN PHOENIX and BILLY CRUDUP is a drawback to casual viewers of the film because they look so much alike, especially in the early scenes, that it's easy to lose track of the storyline when you can't tell which brother is on the screen at key moments.

KATHY BAKER is the mother raising two sons in a small American town during the 1950s and she gives a genuinely real performance even though her role is underwritten with not enough character exposition to let us know her well enough. But that's not too much of a deficit since the story revolves almost completely around the relationship--the coming of age--of two brothers in conflict with each other over everything, including girls.

As the younger, more sensitive and less worldly brother, JOAQUIN PHOENIX is amazingly well cast as he deals with each crisis involving a wealthy family, the Abbots, and their daughters, all of whom are victims of a lie concerning his mother's relationship with Mr. Abbot. BILLY CRUDUP is equally effective as his look alike brother who has his own way of settling scores until he decides he must leave the small town behind and make his own way in the world.

The '50s era is well realized, although the coarseness of some of the dialog is not always appropriate for that era when cuss words weren't tossed around as liberally as they are today.

Summing up: Slowly paced, but holds the interest because of the central relationships and the fact that you care about what happens to these people.

The lives of two brothers living in a small town in Illinois are profoundly affected by an alleged incident which took place even before one of them was born, in `Inventing the Abbotts,' directed by Pat O'Connor. The Abbotts are one of the wealthiest, most respected families in Haley, Illinois; Lloyd Abbott (Will Patton) is a successful businessman who, along with his wife, Joan (Barbara Williams), has raised three daughters, the oldest of whom, Alice (Joanna Going), is about to be married, while the youngest, Pamela (Liv Tyler), is about to graduate from high school. The Holts, on the other hand, are from the other side of the tracks, and Helen Holt (Kathy Baker) has had to raise her boys on her own. John (Billy Crudup), the oldest, was two-years-old when his father was killed in an accident, while Helen was pregnant with his brother, Doug (Joaquin Phoenix). There's no mystery about what happened in the accident; the bone of contention concerns what happened afterwards-- at least in the eyes of John, even all these years later as he is about to enter collage.

John and Doug's father, it seems, had been business partners with Lloyd Abbott, but after his death, a patent that Mr. Holt owned somehow ended up in Lloyd Abbott's name, making him a wealthy man, while the Holt's ended up in their current state of affairs-- not exactly poor, but barely making ends meet. And since his youth, John has been fixated with the Abbotts, especially their daughters, and one in particular, Eleanor (Jennifer Connelly). But as with most things involving an obsession, it only put John on a lifelong emotional road to nowhere.

Told from Doug's point of view, the story becomes a lesson in life; when to leave the baggage of things best forgotten behind and move on. Phoenix gives an affecting performance as Doug, who has an on-again-off-again relationship with Pamela, the one sister who is, `Just there,' as she says (according to her, Alice is the `good' one, Eleanor the `bad'). He captures that sense of being at an age when uncertainty is the only absolute, and you feel his need to search and seek out that toe-hold on life that is often elusive to the young. There's an understated ring of truth in his portrayal that adds that depth which makes his character credible, and one to whom it is easy to relate.

Crudup delivers, as well, with a performance wound in introspective tension so tightly that there are moments when it seems almost tangible. He carries a burden-- that from which his obsession was born-- and it shows. John has so much going for him (the love of his mother and brother; good looks; intelligence), that watching him suffer so emotionally-- even at arm's length-- is sad to see, especially in light of the fact that it is so unnecessary. Still, some of his actions (especially one late in the film) are intrinsically almost too brutal to forgive; only so much, after all, can be buried amid rationalization. In the end, you feel for him, but only so far; and then you are compelled to do what he could not-- you move on.

As Pamela, Liv Tyler turns in a reserved performance that captures something of that same sense of confusion reflected in Doug's character. A bit more grounded, perhaps, but there is still that `searching' going on within her. Connelly, meanwhile, gets into her role as the'bad' sister with relish, exuding a self-assured sexual tension qualified with just enough restraint to make Eleanor a memorable and effective character. Going does a nice job, also, though by the nature of her character alone, she is bound to be somewhat overshadowed by Tyler and Connelly.

The supporting cast includes Michael Sutton (Steve), Alessandro Nivola (Peter), Shawn Hatosy (Victor) and Michael Keaton as the narrator. An engaging and often poignant drama, `Inventing the Abbotts' puts love, loss and confusion (one might say the mainstays of life) into perspective, and illustrates that how we deal with it all is not necessarily a matter of individual choice. Some, in fact, just may have to invent whatever it is they need to hang onto. At one point in the film, Doug says of his brother, `If the Abbotts hadn't existed, John would've invented them.' And maybe that's the way it is; taking life as it comes and dealing with it the best way you know how. I rate this one 8/10.

Inventing the Abbotts must get credit for developing its characters, especially two brothers who seem opposites of one another. It is set in the late 1950s and explores two teenage boys from a working class family trying to make time with the Abbott sisters. The girls father, a wealthy citizen of the town, is against the idea. Fine acting is over shadowed by a painfully slow story in spots. This is not a bad film and, if you don't mind the slow pace, you might enjoy it more than I did.

Certainly you can't complain about the sex appeal of the cast in this movie

Joaquin Phoenix - Smouldering and dangerous good looks . One can't help wondering why it took till 2000 with GLADIATOR that he became a well known actor

Liv Tyler - I notice she has bags under her eyes but apart from that she's strikingly beautiful . Some people claim she's not much of an actress but I was too overcome by the view to notice

Jennifer Connelly - Sexy just doesn't even begin to describe Ms Conelly

Joanna Going - So many beautiful actresses so little time to watch movies

You hear what I'm saying ? The cast of this movie are so hot the audience might just get incinerated but it's the story that's important to a movie , if the story isn't compelling then a film will fail as entertainment and the problem with INVENTING THE ABBOTS is that that the story is basically two lower class brothers trying to court two middle class sisters who have an authoritarian patriarch as a father in 1950s middle America . Despite some screen burning sex appeal the production values are very similar to a TVM ( Strangely another movie ITV broadcast the same night THE HAUNTED HEART suffered from the same problem ) which makes a slow paced story even less involving , though perhaps this movie was made for a female audience in mind

As a voracious film buff, it always surprises me when a great film is released and totally escapes my notice, sometimes for years! I recently viewed "Inventing the Abbotts" on a TV pay channel. I was so astounded by the emotional power of the film that I went to my Leonard Maltin guide, curious to see what the reviewer there had to say about it. I was astounded to find that he had pretty much dismissed the whole thing as flaccid and disappointing. I could not help but disagree, most emphatically. Maybe it is all a matter of taste, but I loved the performances by all of the principal players. The cinematography and production design are terrific. I felt that the director had crafted a constantly engrossing, moving film. The script, which Maltin's reviewer called "dull", struck me as having a fine ear for strong dialogue, all of which seemed very natural and effective to me. There is so much that is poignant and insightful and deeply touching in this entire piece that I would say that anyone who favors dramas with powerful romantic elements and thoughtful examination of the forces at work in society should make every effort to see this film. I do not know why it did not attract more notice when it first came out.

This takes place in Illinois from 1957 to 1960. It's about two poor brothers--Doug (Joaquin Phoenix) and Jacey (Billy Crudup)--who are infatuated with three rich sisters--Alice (Joanna Going), Eleanor (Jennifer Connrlly) and Pamela (Liv Tyler) Abbott. It follows their relationships over the years.

Why this film was made remains a mystery to me. It's very well-done with an attractive cast and beautiful settings--but there's nothing even remotely new here. The conflicts and story lines here have been done countless times before (just here they're updated with minor nudity and some very R rated language). Also, at almost two hours, it's far too long. I was basically pretty bored during the last hour and was just patiently waiting for things to reach their utterly predictable conclusion. Also the acting by Connelly and Crudup was pretty terrible. Connelly just giggles and acts vacant and Crudup seems unwilling to move one muscle in his face. He always has this blank expression on his face no matter what's happening in his scenes. The great acting by the rest of the cast (especially Phoenix and Kathy Baker) and the lush settings make this worth watching at least once. But seriously--you've seen this all before. Narrated by an unbilled Michael Keaton. I give it a 6.

Alright. I remembered seeing this movie years ago, when it was first released to video, and I liked it. Now, upon re-watching it for the first time since that fateful day ten years ago, I see why. Because I was a pervert. Clearly, I didn't enjoy this movie for its sweet message or its fine actors. Ugh.

Let me gripe from the beginning.

Alright, so first we're introduced to actors that are far too old to be playing their characters. That's fine, though -- I grew up watching Saved by the Bell -- I can deal with that. Then, as we get to know the characters a little better, we realize that, well, we really haven't gotten to know the characters at all. Other than Doug drawing breasts on a picture in school (that's how we find out that he's a "rebel) and Pam saying that each sister is the good, the bad, or the one who gets away with everything, we get nothing. There is literally NO character development. At times, it seems like the director might have tried...then no, by the end, you just find yourself angry because you invested two and a half (or whatever) hours into a movie about people, and you do not care in the slightest about any of the people.

But what about their acting you say? Well, that was just as terrible as the trite and obvious dialogue they were forced to spew. It's amazing when you see brilliant actors in earlier roles when they are give almost nothing to work with. Joaquin Phoenix is perhaps the most surprisingly horrid. Liv Tyler is cute -- when isn't she -- but she has nothing to work with, and to be honest, her acting was far from perfected (has it ever been, though?) She plays this innocent rich girl to a tee, but she still doesn't give us much of a reason to like her. And why does she like Phoenix's character Doug? Because of that rebellious drawing? Geesh. Give us some credit here.

Billy Crudup and Jennifer Connelly were good, I can't complain about their acting. But, Jennifer Connelly disappears after the first twenty minutes, in a ridiculous scene, with a ridiculous reason.

I could go on for hours. The "secret" behind the Abbotts and the death of the boys' father is pathetic. The attempt at sympathy for Lloyd Abbott falls flat. Maybe it wasn't intentional. Actually, I hope it wasn't.

Inventing the Abbotts keeps the viewer guessing what's going to happen from the get-go. It might be a Romeo and Juliet story, it might be a romantic coming-of-age, as the synopsis suggests. Unfortunately though, it actually turns out to be such thrown-together non-sense that the viewer wishes that their idea had been what happened. Instead, they're left with a characters they don't care about doing things they don't care about, and offended sense of romanticism and a bad taste lingering in their mouths.

Pat O'Connor's coming of age period piece 'Inventing The Abbotts' tells the story of two brothers and the Abbott family from their point of view (even though Doug does the narrating). Most have described this as a romantic film but I see it more as a human drama about relationships and growing up in the 50s. It also works very well as a character-driven film and there's plenty of symbolism in Ken Hixon's screenplay, giving the film (in combination with the score and beautiful cinematography) a lyrical feel.

'Inventing The Abbotts' boasts of a wonderful ensemble. The Abbott sisters are played by beauties Jennifer Connelly, Joanna Going and Liv Tyler while the Holt brothers are played by Billy Crudup and Joaquin Phoenix. Tyler does a decent job while the rest of the actors are excellently cast. Phoenix portrays Doug's recklessness, frivolity and growth with conviction while Crudup demonstrates Jacey's obsession and resentment with élan. Connelly (as the wild and tragic sister), Baker (as the quiet, strong and fragile mother), Patton (the ruthless father) and Going (the doomed sister) are superb.

O'Connor has successfully captured the look of the 50s and 60s. The art direction is splendid. There are some beautiful shots of breathtaking landscape.

In the end, 'Inventing The Abbotts' is a very human story. It stresses on human flaws, the perception of them and how it can lead to ones destruction and how 'loving no matter what' can help overcome any obstacle.

I recently watched this movie on channel 4 and it was rather amusing. The character of Liv Tyler was pleasing to watch and i enjoyed her innocent and cautious attitude towards the behavior of her sisters for the majority of the movie. However as the ending reached, Liv Tyler's character changed drastically from the person she was in the beginning of the movie and i found it rather disappointing as i felt that she could carry off that role with confidence. Liv Tyler has a look that reflects innocence and because her character did not posses any innocence i realized that her role could not be carried off with any realism, her role may have been more realistic and more delightful for me to watch if more innocence was added and less sex appeal was used. My overall opinion is that this movie is enjoyable to watch as it is made believable with actors such as Joaquin playing very influential roles.

The movie moves slowly at times but the character development is the prime attraction of this motion picture. Truth or lies. The perception is the determining factor. Then all depends on the spin you have established. When the younger brother admits that the furthest thing from his mind is to be like his older brother, then does the viewer realize that an open mind is the best option. When we prejudge we often make mistakes. This is a fine movie. I recommend it most highly.

This movie's power comes from its actors. Liv Tyler, Billy Crudup, Joaquin Phoenix, Jennifer Connelly, Kathy Baker all give excellent, nuanced performances. All of which, in a way, this movie doesn't deserve. It's a tale we've all heard before in other ways and there was very little new or interesting about the way the story was told.

The direction is pedestrian, which is to say it is nothing special and that it could have been a better movie with better direction. [As a comparison, watch "Some Girls", also with the gorgeous Connelly and featuring three rich sisters, which was directed beautifully.]

The narrator was just awful and unnecessary. I hate movies that can't take the time to explain pieces of the plot, instead using an insipid narrator to fill in the blanks. The charisma of the cast makes this a very watchable movie, but there should be a "mute" button that just turns off the narrator.

This movie has not received enough credit. In my estimation, each member of the cast has turned in the best performance of their career. From the relationship between the two lead characters, and with their Mother, and their connection to the Abbotts, this movie tells a moving story with true heartfelt emotion. I cried at many points in the movie. Joaquin and Billy are truly inspiring. Liv Tyler and Jennifer Connolley let us into their world of what life was like in the teenage world of the early 60's. We were transported in time back to that world with all of it social standards and sanctions. Pat O'Connor has outdone himself with this film.

The plot in Abbotts unfolds slowly and, to the film's detriment, is not engrossing. The characters are basically set at the beginning and then simply play a variation on their particular theme throughout the film. Hidden inside the film's meandering structure is a deep and resonating psychological drama about love, loss and the destructiveness of class and society norms that never reaches its potential.

Jennifer Connelly's character is the one most involving, but unfortunately her role is limited to somewhere between cameo and supporting. She has become a confident, talented actress who knows how to use her formidable body and angelic beauty. The movie loses momentum when she disappears, primarily because her character is the only one given to revolt. But Joaquin Phoenix and Liv Tyler's attraction is handled well by both actors. Billy Crudup's self-confident swagger conceals his character's brooding anger. Kathy Baker and Will Patton provide strong counterweights at either extreme. At the end all things are revealed - there is no real villain.

You may be bored by this film, unless class struggle, destructive romantic liaisons in the 50's, or Jennifer Connelly is your thing. The movie takes too long to get its message across, but it's a good message and at least it has one.

I had read a comment saying this movie is a good "Sunday afternoon movie". Well, I watched it on a Sunday afternoon, and was more than a little disappointed.

The story revolves around a young Doug Holt, a kid born on the "wrong side of the tracks", and his relationship with his brother Jacey. Now, early on in the movie the narrator (an older Doug) says that if the Abbotts had not existed, Jacey would have had to invent them. Yet, this is never illustrated, only repeated randomly throughout the story, which travels through unprovoked love, anger, and forgiveness.

The acting is definitely marvelous, especially considering that the characters are not well developed. People fall in and out of love, pretend they're in love, and cause serious problems because of love. But the audience does not follow: in many key situations, I felt betrayed by both the characters and the screenwriters. Why would a character do something no person alive would ever do, nor would any person in his situation?

If you're big on movies that revolve around aphorisms, this is the one for you. In retrospect, I shouldn't be so hard on it. Almost every scene with Jennifer Connelly is absolutely hysterical. And for that, I say, "Hi Doug".

What can I say? I love this movie. And I'm not the type who digs romance movies, because they're usually 1) rubbish, 2) crap and 3) junk. "Inventing the Abbotts" is none of the above. Maybe it has got something to do with Joaquin Phoenix's presence in the movie; in my humble opinion, he is one tremendous actor and I love him, and I saw this movie because he's in it. Or maybe, just maybe, "Inventing the Abbotts" is simply a sweet little romantic movie that I enjoyed very much. There is just something about the movie that touches me. I do agree that "the best kind of love is the no-matter-what kind", and seeing it displayed so genuinely through Doug (Phoenix) and Pam (Liv Tyler) just did it for me. Not only was Joaquin brilliant as Doug, his character is, let's face it, an all-round good guy: someone you'd feel comfortable with, comfortable enough to let him meet the parents. And although there were some scenes where Liv Tyler didn't quite deliver, the chemistry between the two of them is obvious, and it helps to make their romance more possible than it already is.

Billy Crudup plays the more interesting Holt brother Jacey, and is thoroughly convincing in his role. Jennifer Connelly is beautiful, and like most of the supporting cast, is solid in her role. Special kudos must go to the actress who played Doug's mom (her name eluded my memory). She handled her role with delicacy and care, and turned what could be a fairly boring character to an interesting one. I love the exploration of family relationships, and I was glad to see a solid relationship between Doug and his mother.

All in all, "Inventing the Abbotts" is a splendid movie that *somehow* teaches you to love "no matter what".

Inventing the Abbotts seems to have a glimmer of potential but it does not come anywhere close to realising it. The relationships are never developed or explored and the plot ambles along to a completely unsatisfying finale.

The movie is a throwback to the soap operatic melodramas of the 1950s, and on surface it got that right. The sets, the costume, the hair, the cars, all seems perfect. However the film has absolutely no depth, most of the characters were one dimensional. The only one that seemed to be real was the mother played by Kathy Baker. All the other characters seem to exist only as plot elements.

The movie doesn't even seem to know the outside world existed. No music from that era, (How about some Buddy Holly? or even Perry Como?), the only pop culture reference was when Mr. Abbott mentioned Jack Paar. Come on were they too cheap to pay rights to the music?

As for the story, well others have described it; two families, one rich, one poor, three sisters, two brothers. One brother wants revenge on the other family by screwing the sisters, the other brother truly loves one of the sisters. The Jacey character should have gotten his butt whup really hard, he deserved it. Mr. Abbott's conversation with Doug should have been longer and it would have carried more weight if somebody more attractive played Mrs. Holt. Don't get me wrong Kathy Baker is a great actress and she gave the best performance in the movie (which really isn't saying much), but what Mr Holt said to Doug would be more understandable if she looked like Kim Basinger.

My main problem with the movie is that it is SSSLLLOOOWWWW. A faster pacing certainly is needed by this movie, it just seemed to drag on and on. Some of the conversations were so slow I lost interest in what they were talking about. Likewise with "Far from Heaven", a similar paean to the '50s melodrama, the pacing is just too slow. The actual movies were faster paced and were easier to watch.

Note to other film makers: (I know that there are filmmakers who actually appreciated those 50s Melodramas and would like to make tributes to them.) PLEASE QUICKEN THE PACING.