Storytelling (2001)

53% of critics liked it
(89 reviews)
68% of users liked it
(8,562 ratings)

From the controversial director of Happiness comes another dark look at New Jersey, this time broken into two separate stories. The first is a 26-minute segment entitled "Fiction," which highlights the life of Marcus (Leo Fitzpatrick), an aspiring writer who was born with deformities due to cerebral… More From the controversial director of Happiness comes another dark look at New Jersey, this time broken into two separate stories. The first is a 26-minute segment entitled "Fiction," which highlights the life of Marcus (Leo Fitzpatrick), an aspiring writer who was born with deformities due to cerebral palsy. He unsuccessfully tries to read a new short story to his girlfriend Vi (Selma Blair), and leaves her after the story is similarly dismissed by his fellow students and teacher, Mr. Scott (Robert Wisdom), a black Pulitzer Prize winner. Vi approaches Mr. Scott in a bar one night and agrees to go home with him, recalling a "fictional" account of their experience in the next class. The second segment, titled "Nonfiction," follows Toby Oxman (Paul Giamatti), a thirtysomething sad sack who gets the idea to make a documentary of contemporary suburban teenage life. Looking for subjects, he runs into Scooby (Mark Webber), a disaffected, dim young man who dreams of being a TV star. Scooby's home life is highly dysfunctional, with a strict father (John Goodman), a prim and proper mother (Julie Hagerty), a football player brother (Noah Fleiss), and a younger brother Mikey (Jonathan Osser), who continually chats up the family's put-upon maid Consuelo (Lupe Ontiveros). Consuelo is soon banished from the household due to her involvement with Mikey, becoming an outcast just like Scooby. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 28 min.
Directed By: Todd Solondz
Written By: Todd Solondz
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 8, 2002 Limited
On DVD: Jul 16, 2002
Studio: Fine Line Features

Critic Reviews

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
Despite [Solondz's] undeniable talent, however manipulative, his stories are too sour and mean-spirited for my taste.
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee
Each story on its own could have been expanded and worked into a compelling single feature, but in its current incarnation, Storytelling never quite gets over its rather lopsided conception.
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle
That Storytelling has value cannot be denied. Not even Solondz's thirst for controversy, sketchy characters and immature provocations can fully succeed at cheapening it.
Rick Groen, Globe and Mail
In his latest effort, Storytelling, Solondz has finally made a movie that isn't just offensive -- it also happens to be good.
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post
Solondz is without doubt an artist of uncompromising vision, but that vision is beginning to feel, if not morally bankrupt, at least terribly monotonous.
Bob Graham, San Francisco Chronicle
Sometimes seems less like storytelling than something the otherwise compelling director needed to get off his chest.
Ryan Cracknell, Movie Views
While Solondz tries and tries hard, Storytelling fails to provide much more insight than the inside column of a torn book jacket.
Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Todd Solondz is a white Spike Lee.
Rob Nelson, City Pages, Minneapolis/St. Paul
Solondz has finally brought his critics into the frame, if only in an attempt to subject them to the same torture as everyone else.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
The film is marked by the same darkly humorous sensibility of rest of Solondz's work, excpet that the novelty is gone and the acerbic vision is now contained in a fractured text marred by poor storytelling and shifting tone--it's not easy to shock anymore
Joshua Tanzer, Offoffoff
The first tale of woe makes a sharp short film by itself, but the second is a stretch.
James Rocchi, Netflix
In a scabrous follow-up to Happiness, Todd Solondz once again crafts a movie easier to admire than it is to like.

Read all 12 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Jim H

This is a two-part film, one story about the racial tensions that result when a creative writing student has a tryst with her professor and the other about a documentarian trying to film an unstable teenager. In every sense this is a Todd Solondz film: the long shots and silences, the… More
This is a two-part film, one story about the racial tensions that result when a creative writing student has a tryst with her professor and the other about a documentarian trying to film an unstable teenager. In every sense this is a Todd Solondz film: the long shots and silences, the out-of-place characters, and the cringe comedy. But of all the Solondz films I've seen, I think this is my favorite. The characters are more finely drawn, and even though the themes are opaque, like most of his work, there seems to be more cohesiveness to this effort. I also really enjoyed the performances in the first segment, especially by Selma Blair and Leo Fitzpatrick. The film's main flaw is the opacity of the themes. Why do these two stories belong together? Is Solondz trying to say something about how thin the line is between fact and fiction? I'm not sure. Overall, I liked this film even though there are significant aspects that remain unclear.
Steven C

The thing about Todd Solondz's "Storytelling" is that you can't simply just watch it as another, random film, because it's not just 'another random film.' You will have needed to have seen Solondz's previous work ("Welcome to the… More
The thing about Todd Solondz's "Storytelling" is that you can't simply just watch it as another, random film, because it's not just 'another random film.' You will have needed to have seen Solondz's previous work ("Welcome to the Dollhouse," "Happiness") and grasp the controversy and criticism surrounding him, for "Storytelling" is a meditation on Solondz's sensibilities. Solondz turns his script and lens back on the audience as well as himself. He is questioning both his admirers and his detractors. He is also questioning himself- why he is drawn to this material, why explore such darkness? "Storytelling" is a sort of subtlety brilliant piece of metafiction but it's not all entirely satisfying. These stories are just a tad bit trite, yet they still come with a considerable amount of good- namely the casting (Blair, Goodman, Giamatti, Webber) and Solondz's sharp dialogue and observations. I can't recommend this film to anyone other than fans of Todd Solondz's fascinating and unforgivably complex body of work.
jd c

Amazingly structured, beautifully shot, and brilliant, straightforward and honest dialogue. Storytelling is dark humored, luridly amusing and entertaining, and funny as hell in the demented sense. It's sharp, perversely genuine, witty and brutally forthright. Avoid the… More
Amazingly structured, beautifully shot, and brilliant, straightforward and honest dialogue. Storytelling is dark humored, luridly amusing and entertaining, and funny as hell in the demented sense. It's sharp, perversely genuine, witty and brutally forthright. Avoid the "R" rating at all cost and watch this in it's true form, RENT THE UNRATED VERSION! "Fiction" Vi is a hip college teenager who allows herself to be exploited and abused by any guy, including her writing professor, in order to get inspiration for her creative writing class. - In my eyes, this story seems to me it would be more on the "Non-fiction" side. But you can be the judge. "Non-fiction" Toby Oxman is a hapless loser/shoe salesman who wants to be a famous documentary filmmaker. For his first project, Toby explores the dysfunctional Livingston family, focusing mostly on the oldest son Scooby, an alienated, hates-the-world, ticking-time-bomb, bisexual, high school student with dreams of being famous. - Strange how this story is "Non-fiction", but hell, I love it's eccentricity. Just makes the movie more intriguing. Storytelling is disturbing, but it's always fun! Coming from the guy who directed "Welcome to the Dollhouse" you should already know what kind of material to expect. Todd Solondz is a great director, always with a strange and twisted, but interesting outlook on life. He's an amazing artist. I highly recommend Storytelling. <img src="http://i294.photobucket.com/albums/mm89/JDHallowEEn/Storytelling.jpg"> "A masterful comedy that will divide audiences, but it left me laughing hysterically. I hope that doesn't make you think I'm a sick bastard, but if so, piss off." - Film Threat "I saw it a third time. By then I had moved beyond the immediate shock of the material and was able to focus on what a well-made film it was; how concisely Solondz gets the effects he's after." - Roger Ebert "Solondz has finally made a movie that isn't just offensive -- it also happens to be good. He's still shouting, still violating our politically correct sensibilities, but the shocks now have thematic purpose. They don't just titillate, they resonate." - The Globe and Mail "The leanest and meanest of Solondz's misanthropic comedies, feasts on the anguish of adolescence and confusion of college -- white suburban-style." - Village Voice "Almost as uncompromising, and sometimes as funny, as "Dollhouse" or "Happiness."" - Chicago Tribune "It's extremely well played and often very funny. But beware: Solondz uses humor as a booby trap, so be careful what you laugh at." - TV Guide "A movie that advances the career of a demonstrably gifted filmmaker, a fearlessly funny movie whose laughs draw blood, a bracingly provocative movie that won't apologize for its bad temper." - Rolling Stone
Arash X

Brutal Honesty, A thought-provoking well-written movie, Goes overboard a few times but overall great, Made me want to see all of Solondz's other movies
Curtis L

Can't remember much about it other than a guy daydreams about conan obrien and a mexican made ends up burning down their house.
Michael G

So so. It was disturbing because people like this actually exist. John Goodman was so creepy.
Daniel P

"Once you start writing, it all becomes ficion." Another blacker-than-black comedy from Todd Solondz, with a shocking ending that is both genuinely sad and horribly funny at the same time. It's this balance that Solondz excelled at in… More
"Once you start writing, it all becomes ficion." Another blacker-than-black comedy from Todd Solondz, with a shocking ending that is both genuinely sad and horribly funny at the same time. It's this balance that Solondz excelled at in Happiness, and though this is neither quite as excessive or successful as that film, Storytelling still deftly juggles a group of mostly unlikeable characters but finds pathos in their various downfalls. The fiction section, much shorter than the non-fiction part, is arguably more successful in separating lies and truth and features an excellent performance from Selma Blair. Unique filmmaking, as always.
Marcus W

I don't want to say much about this film so as not to ruin it, but if you like beautifully written, unflinching and unpredictable films with character work that most writers would kill to be able to portray, then Storytelling is not to be missed. I would have given it five stars,… More
I don't want to say much about this film so as not to ruin it, but if you like beautifully written, unflinching and unpredictable films with character work that most writers would kill to be able to portray, then Storytelling is not to be missed. I would have given it five stars, but it was only 80 minutes long.
Emily B

Not quite as good as 'Happiness' but just as daring. 'Storytelling' is split into two parts. The first being 'Fiction', staring Selma Blair as a creative writing student, who ends up spending the night with her black college professor (make sure you get… More
Not quite as good as 'Happiness' but just as daring. 'Storytelling' is split into two parts. The first being 'Fiction', staring Selma Blair as a creative writing student, who ends up spending the night with her black college professor (make sure you get the unrated version unless you want to see a huge red square over the screen!). The second part is 'Non-Fiction' which is considerably longer than the first story therefore allowing more character development and sympathy for the characters. It involves documentary filmmaker Paul Giamatti (who is brilliant!) filming a project on teenagers, the focus being young Scooby, who wants to be just like Conan O Brien. Clever, entertaining and funny, with an excellent soundtrack by Belle and Sebastian. I know can't wait for 'Life During Wartime'.
Sunil J

Bizarre and inappropriate but also funny and wonderfully dark.
Sarah P

The first part of the film, I wasn't crazy about, but I really liked the second part. Todd Solondz defnately has a way with showcasing f***ed up families. John Goodman was really good and the boy that played the little brother was priceless!