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Inventing the Abbotts

1997 · 110 min

A wistful, slow-burning look at first love and old resentments in a small 1950s town, with a bittersweet ache.

Directed by
Pat O'Connor
Genres
Drama, Romance
Tagline
When you want it all but can't have it, there's only one way to handle life... invent it.
Overview
In the 1950s, brothers Jacey and Doug Holt, who come from the poorer side of their sleepy Midwestern town, vie for the affections of the wealthy, lovely Abbott sisters. Lady-killer Jacey alternates between Eleanor and Alice, wanting simply to break the hearts of rich young women. But sensitive Doug has a real romance with Pamela, which Jacey and the Abbott patriarch, Lloyd, both frown upon.

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Free in the US
  • Hoopla
More options Data from JustWatch
Directed by
Pat O'Connor
Genres
Drama, Romance
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • romanticstrength 2 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • class
  • love
  • family
  • betrayal
  • coming-of-age
Places
  • small town
  • home
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • ensemble
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action2
Horror0
Humour3
Realism7
Romance6
Tension4
Darkness4
Complexity5
Emotional weight6

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Cast

Where to watch in the US

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Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
drama, romance
Directed by
Pat O'Connor
Written by
Ken Hixon
Starring
Joaquin Phoenix, Liv Tyler, Jennifer Connelly, Billy Crudup, Joanna Going, Kathy Baker, Will Patton, Michael Sutton
Music
Michael Kamen
Cinematography
Kenneth MacMillan
Runtime
110 min
Country
United States of America
Languages
English

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