Storytelling

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"From the director of Happiness and Welcome To The Dollhouse."
  • R
  • 2001
  • 1 hr 27 min
  • 6.8  (18,391)
  • 50

Storytelling is a 2001 dark comedy-drama movie written and directed by Todd Solondz. The movie comprises two parts, titled "Fiction" and "Non-Fiction," and explores the themes of race, class, sex, and power dynamics in American society. In the first part, "Fiction," Selma Blair plays Vi, a college student taking a creative writing class. Vi is shy and insecure, often overlooked by her classmates and even her teacher. She is also in a relationship with Marcus (Leo Fitzpatrick), a man with cerebral palsy who is also in her creative writing class.

Marcus writes a controversial story about his sexual fantasies involving a woman with cerebral palsy, which becomes a topic of discussion in the class. Meanwhile, Vi struggles to write anything meaningful and feels inferior to her fellow classmates. She eventually decides to write a story about her affair with her professor, Mr. Scott (Robert Wisdom), in which she portrays herself as a seductive and dominating figure. The story is met with mixed reactions, with some of her classmates praising her for finally writing something with depth and others accusing her of perpetuating harmful stereotypes about black men.

In the second part, "Non-Fiction," the movie shifts focus to Toby Oxman (Paul Giamatti), a documentary filmmaker who enters the lives of a suburban family, the Livingstones. The Livingstones are a wealthy family with two teenage sons, Scooby (Mark Webber) and Brady (Noah Fleiss). Scooby is a stoner and Brady is a high school jock; both boys struggle with feelings of inadequacy and dissatisfaction with their lives.

Toby becomes interested in the Livingstones after reading about their charity work in a newspaper. However, his documentary soon takes a dark turn as he exploits the family's dysfunction and secrets for his own gain. He convinces them to talk about their most personal and traumatic experiences on camera, including a past abortion and a sexual encounter with a minor. Eventually, Toby's cameras capture the ultimate family betrayal, which drives them all to their breaking points.

Overall, Storytelling is a bleak and thought-provoking movie that offers a biting commentary on modern American life. It forces viewers to confront uncomfortable and taboo topics, such as disability, race, and class, and challenges them to examine their own assumptions and prejudices. Despite its heavy subject matter, the movie injects humor and whimsy into its storytelling, making it an engaging and rewarding viewing experience.

Storytelling is a 2001 comedy with a runtime of 1 hour and 27 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8 and a MetaScore of 50.

Storytelling
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Where to Watch Storytelling
Storytelling is available to watch, stream, download and buy on demand at Apple TV, Amazon, Google Play, YouTube VOD and Vudu. Some platforms allow you to rent Storytelling for a limited time or purchase the movie and download it to your device.
  • Release Date
    2001
  • MPAA Rating
    R
  • Runtime
    1 hr 27 min
  • Language
    English
  • IMDB Rating
    6.8  (18,391)
  • Metascore
    50