DVD Review: Igby Goes Down (B-)

Igby Goes Down (2001)
Directed by Burr Steers
Starring Kieran Culkin, Ryan Phillipe, Claire Danes, Jared Harris, Susan Sarandon and Jeff Goldblum
MPAA: R
Grade: B-

Review by Scott Standish

Way more depressing than it's trailer might suggest, Igby Goes Down is the tale of a young man's struggle to escape the clutches of one seriously messed up family. Igby Goes Down has a script that at times seems to be all over the place. However, fine performances by the underrated Jeff Goldblum, Kieran Culkin and even Ryan Phillipe make this one worth watching.

Igby has grown up in a highly dysfunctional yet wealthy family outside of New York. His mother (played by Susan Sarandon) is a controlling society gal with a cold heart. His father has a mental disorder that causes him to painfully disintegrate in full view of his family. His brother (Ryan Phillipe) is a page right out of his mother's book, a true cold hearted social climber. Phillipe's understated performance deserves being singled out here: he plays the weasel role so well that he appears to be a character right out of a Bret Easton Ellis novel.

With his home life in a mess, Igby hides out in Manhattan where he invades the inner circle of his wealthy and powerful godfather (played spectacularly by Jeff Goldblum). He's rich, charming, evil, manipulative and yes, fantastic. I have yet to hear Goldblum's name mentioned for an Oscar nomination in connection with this performance. Let me be the first to say that Goldblum deserves an Oscar nomination for his work here, it's the best of his career (although I also like his work in Deep Cover).

Igby has competing love interests in Claire Danes and Amanda Peet. By that I mean he is competing to try and win the heart of either one. Neither girl takes the bait (both have their eyes on more successful, albeit hypocritical gentlemen within Igby's family).

Kieran Culkin has been lauded for his performance in Igby Goes Down and deservedly so. He does a fine job of projecting the emotions of a boy trying to escape the clutches of a suffocatingly controlling family. Igby doesn't really know where he is going, all he knows is that he wants to get away. Out of rebellion he gets himself tossed out of every private school you can find. His mother comes down with cancer and he is so focused on escaping this circle of drama that he actually welcomes the news.

Igby Goes Down is an interesting yet at times depressing film that clearly has way too much angst and not enough dark comedy. A larger role for the weird drug dealer (Jared Harris) would have helped lighten the tone. However, the fine acting performances by Phillipe, Culkin and Goldblum more than make up for the script's heavy-handedness.

Buy Igby Goes Down On DVD From Amazon.com