Divorce: A word that is all too common in this day and age. Along with the divorce, comes the dysfunction of broken families and children. Too often, movies overlook the mysterious behavioral change that takes place in kids after the horrible act of divorce. But director Noah Bambauch hit the nail right on the head. He showed us the truth, through a comedy, by revealing the reality of life after divorce. All in all, Bambauch finished with a masterpiece that the audience can take a lot from. (Wes Anderson's influence was evident throughout the movie).

I loved the opening scene. It brought forth what was going on in the family. The Berkmans are playing tennis and Bernard (Jeff Daniels) hits the ball as hard as he can, to Joan (Laura Linney), on every return, until she finally gives up. From that little scene, as she is looking at her husband in disgust, you know that a divorce is on it's way.

The year is 1986 and the story takes place in Brooklyn. Divorce is brought in to the picture and the kids are getting "screwed over" by the idea of joint custody. To make things difficult and more dysfunctional, the oldest son, Walt (Jesse Eisenberg), decides to stay with "Bernard, and Bernard only," as for the younger son Frank (Owen Kline), he picks Joan.

As the movie progresses we see the kids struggle more and more. Not all of the children's problems were caused, significantly, because of the divorce, but let's just say that Joan and Bernard haven't always been there for them. From Walt's struggle with relationships to Franks obsession with drinking beer with his shirt off and the occasional masturbating in school, both children are heavily affected by their parent's lifestyle.

I really loved the way Baumbach showed the children's struggles after the divorce, and the way he effectively portrayed it on film. It was so sad and real, yet he put it in a comedic setting to make it strangely enjoyable. He also added a key character, played by William Baldwin, who was Frank's tennis instructor, which gave the movie a little more color.

The ending was the only part that was a little bit disappointing. A little abrupt, in my opinion, but where would you finish a movie like this? Do families in these types of situations always end the struggles or solve their problems for a "satisfying" ending? The true message I took away from this movie was so powerful. Although I laughed, in the end, it was very heart-breaking. Divorce can tear a family up and scar the children for the rest of their life. With all the divorces and annulments going on today, I feel we often look past the fact that this could negatively effect our future generations. I, also, feel this movie was a true reality check on how much influence parents have on their children. They may not know it, or want that to happen, but it does. Both Frank and Walt inherited traits from there parents, probably without even realizing or wanting it, but in the end, they were becoming just as dysfunctional as their parents.

The Squid and the Whale was one of the best movies of 2005, but also had one of the most disappointing endings of 2005. I feel Chris Barsanti (Filmcritics.com) said it best, "This is about three-fourths of one of the greatest films you will ever see."