Oct. 13, 2017|United States|112 Min.|TV-MA
Genre: Comedy;Drama
Description: “The Meyerowitz Stories” is a 2017 American comedy-drama film directed and written by Noah Baumbach. The movie features a star-studded cast including Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Elizabeth Marvel, and Emma Thompson. It revolves around a group of dysfunctional adult siblings struggling to cope with the lingering influence of their father.
“The Meyerowitz Stories” was selected to compete for the Palme d’Or at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and won the Palm Dog award. Critics praised Baumbach’s screenplay and direction, with particular acclaim for Adam Sandler’s performance. The film was released in theaters and on Netflix on October 13, 2017.
The movie became a topic of debate at Cannes, as it was the second Netflix film to compete there, alongside “Okja.” This led to a clash with jury president Pedro Almodóvar, who argued that Cannes films should be made for cinema screens rather than streaming platforms. In response, the Cannes Film Festival introduced a new rule requiring competing films to commit to theatrical distribution in France, effectively limiting Netflix’s participation in future festivals.
The story follows Danny Meyerowitz, who, after separating from his wife and losing his job, moves in with his father, Harold, a retired art professor and sculptor, and his third wife, Maureen. Danny’s sister, Jean, and younger half-brother, Matthew, are also part of the family. Danny shares a close bond with his daughter, Eliza, a film student at Bard College. When Eliza screens one of her provocative films for the family, they struggle to hide their discomfort while praising her work.
Harold, feeling overlooked by the art world, refuses to participate in a group exhibition at Bard. Danny and Harold attend a MoMA retrospective for Harold’s successful contemporary, L.J. Shapiro, but neither feels at ease. Harold escapes down the street, leaving Danny to reconnect briefly with Shapiro’s daughter, Loretta, before chasing after his father.
Cast director: Noah Baumbach
Cast actor: Adam Sandler, Ben Stiller, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Elizabeth Marvel, Grace Van Patten, Candice Bergen, Adam Driver, Judd Hirsch, Rebecca Miller
Original name: The Meyerowitz Stories (New and Selected)