A very interesting film. Perhaps 1960 ushered in notions of the ordinary marriage arrangement as dispensable. All institutions are perceived as inadequate or damaging by some. Understandably, people often bail when their supporting role is making them uncomfortable.
One change from the book is advancing the boys age to 16 from 14. That is perhaps emphasized as well by the fact that the actor here, resembling Beau Bridges, seems perhaps a little older than that.
Events here might strike some as more reprehensible if they were undergone by a fourteen year old.
A good story, well acted out.
First time director was scrupulous with his efforts to wring all he could with such as elements of design, music and cinematography. Best lit scenes rely on natural lighting. I didn't care for his preference for dim or dark lighting. Clarity might be the only element here that arguably would have been preferable.
Should be considered a classic in the age of ambition.

4* I really enjoyed this movie. Good acting and storyline.

5 stars!

I am looking forward to more films from Paul Dano.

The fragile relationships among a family of mother, father, and sum are explored in this film released on the Criterion label. I do not know the actor of the son, which for this film is a big plus. He seemed to be a simple young boy at the beginning and probably the most stable adult at the end of the film. I think the lesson is "Beware of how you act among your family members. By unthinking comments and actions, you could stupidly destroy the fabric of your family." I know of no other film that explores this aspect of life better.

Didn't see the point of this movie at all. The mother made me "angry", the father was selfish and "a loser" and the poor son was caught right in the middle. I hung in there because I kept thinking something was going to happen but Nope, it did not. You can watch this and do 9 other things while having it on!

While I enjoyed the overall story, cinematography, and acting, I also found the pacing of this film to be nothing short of arduous. Maybe it was by design to illustrate the slow unraveling of this family unit, but I had a huge sense of relief when the credits finally started rolling.

IMDB rated this 6.8/10
After Jerry is fired from his job, he undertakes a role beneath him. His wife, Jeanette, confides in their son that their marriage is not working out.

Terrific directorial debut by actor Paul ("There Will be Blood") Dano, and a wonderful evocation of American life in the early 1960's.
As the married couple living lives of quiet desolation, Jake Gyllenhaal and a never-better Carey Mulligan are fantastic, as is newcomer Ed Oxenbould who plays their young son.
The movie feels a lot like a perfectly-scaled novella and has all the earmarks of a future classic.
I can definitely imagine it being discovered by an entirely new generation of film-lovers in 30-40 years on TCM.
But don't wait that long: see it now!