Today’s quick review: Igby Goes Down. Igby Slocumb (Kieran Culkin) has been kicked out of every private school on the East Coast. Running out of options, his wealthy mother Mimi (Susan Sarandon) sends him to spend the summer working for his godfather D.H. (Jeff Goldblum) in New York. But when the summer ends, Igby ditches his school and family to live on his own in the city, in the process striking up a relationship with D.H.’s mistress Rachel (Amanda Peet).
Igby Goes Down is a black comedy about a misfit teenager and his wealthy, dysfunctional family. The movie chronicles Igby Slocumb’s varied attempts to make a life for himself outside the confines of his home. More concerned with sex and drugs than his future, Igby has no plan other than to get away from it all. Fittingly enough, Igby Goes Down is less of a singular story than a series of misadventures that force Igby to grow up, after a fashion.
Much of the conflict in Igby Goes Down takes place between Igby and his family. Igby shows open contempt for his mother Mimi, a cold, aristocratic woman who just wants Igby to shut up and behave. He also butts heads with his older brother Oliver (Ryan Phillippe), a hard-working, cultured young man who is everything Igby is not. Igby has a more ambivalent relationship with his godfather D.H., an avuncular businessman who is every bit as shrewd as Igby.
How much you get out of the movie will depend on how interesting you find its main character. Igby is clever and bitter, a combination that drives him to lash out even when the smart thing to do would be to hold his tongue. He is a rare protagonist whose spite is genuine and not shed lightly. His cynical outlook on life fuels much of the film’s humor, though the jokes are doled out infrequently and tend to have a dark edge to them.
In spite of his bad attitude, Igby does have nuance as a character. He may not have the sentimental core that other disaffected teenagers do in fiction, but he does have a heart, one that’s most readily seen when his attempts to game the system fall apart. Igby wants to be treated like an adult but simply isn’t ready for it yet. His brushes with responsibility, romantic rejection, and illness in the family give depth to the character and the story.
Igby Goes Down is a decent pick for those interested in its themes of teenage rebellion and familial dysfunction in the upper class. The movie doesn’t offer much in the way of overt humor—its comedy comes mainly from odd situations and Igby’s sarcastic quips—nor does it have much in the way of redemption for its protagonist. But it does paint a nuanced, fascinating portrait of Igby Slocumb, and that’s enough to make it a solid watch for the right viewer.
For a dry coming-of-age comedy that deals with similar issues, try Rushmore or Lady Bird. For the more upbeat adventures of a precocious teenager, try Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. For the story of a similarly dysfunctional upper-class family, try The Royal Tenenbaums. For a more surreal tale of self-destruction, try Birdman.
7.0 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it the same for a fascinating lead and interesting themes without the story or heart to do more with them.