The Squid and the Whale is a
2005 dramatic film written and directed by
Noah Baumbach and produced by
Wes Anderson. It tells the semi-autobiographical story of two boys in
Brooklyn dealing with their parents'
divorce in the 1980s. The film is named after a
giant squid and sperm whale diorama found at the
American Museum of Natural History. The film was shot on
Super 16mm, mostly using a handheld camera.
The Squid and the Whale was a success with critics. At the 2005
Sundance Film Festival, the film won awards for best dramatic direction and screenwriting, and was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize. Baumbach later received an
Academy Award nomination for
Best Original Screenplay. The film received six
Independent Spirit Award nominations and three
Golden Globe nominations. The
New York Film Critics Circle,
Los Angeles Film Critics Association and the
National Board of Review voted its screenplay the year's best.