STORYTELLING

US, 2000, 2001, 87 minutes, Colour.
Fiction: Selma Blair, Leo Fitzpatrick, Robert Wisdom.
Non-fiction: Paul Giamatti, Mark Webber, John Goodman, Julie Hagerty, Steve Railsback, Xander Berkely, Noah Fleiss, Jonathan Osser, Lupe Ontiveros, Frankar Potente, Conan O' Brien.
Directed by Todd Solandz.

Writer- director Todd Solandz made quite an impact with his 1995 feature, Welcome to the Dollhouse. After four years, he produced the controversial film, Happiness (making a sequel, but employing quite a different cast, Life During Wartime).

Storytelling came two years after Happiness. While extra scenes, possibly for a third story, were filmed, they were dropped from the final product which encompasses two stories: Fiction and Non-fiction.

There are psychological and moral twists and turns in the Fiction story, focusing on Selma Blair as an aspiring writer, her disabled boyfriend, Leo Fitzpatrick, and her quite arrogant English professor, Robert Wisdom. The boyfriend is an aspiring writer but not very successful. The girl attends class, is criticised, sometime superciliously by the other students, has a sexual encounter, violence and rape, with the professor and writes this up as a story which the other students dismiss as exaggerated imagination.

A teenager, Mark Weber, is the centre of the second story, Non-fiction. He is quite a slacker, contrasting strongly with his very young brother who is extremely intelligent (but who is shown to be arrogant in his dealings with the Hispanic maid). The parents are something of caricature as played by John Goodman Julie Haggerty. When the boy is approached by a would-be filmmaker, Paul Giamatti, to participate in a documentary, he readily agrees, the parents checking out with the director and making their demands but allowing filming at home. The boy is full of himself, imagining that he might be a talkshow host and boasting.

When footage is shown to a group of students at College, there is a great deal of laughter, which sends the boy into an emotional spin. One almost feels very sorry for him, although he is dense. There is satire all around.

Todd Solandz is an idiosyncratic director, with a seeming pessimistic outlook on life, but able to communicate characters who are very strange, need some psychological help – which means that his body of work is certainly challenging and arresting.


1. The work of the director, his career, his outlook, pessimism, sardonic, perspectives on human nature, flaws and failings, on the family, suburbs, on pretension?

2. The New Jersey settings, college, classrooms, apartments, cafes? The school, homes, the film world? The musical score?

3. The device of having two films? The title of storytelling? How much truth, imagination, accuracy and observation?

4. Fiction: Vi, relationships, sexuality, cerebral, emotional? With Marcus, her friendship, his having cerebral palsy, way of speaking? Mark and his disability, sexual relationships, manner of speaking here, his mouth disfigured, dependence on Vi? In the writing class, their stories? Mark reading his story, about himself, the reactions, self-pity, cliches, the students and their support, the girl with her negative criticisms, but saying that that was just her? The Professor, his novels and awards? His solemnity, carving up the story? The aftermath, Vi and her feelings, Marcus, hurt, admitting the truth about the limitations of his story? His taunting Vi that she wanted to sleep with the Professor? Vi and her roommate, the discussions, decisions as to what she should do? Going to the bar, dressing in the sexy way, seeing the Professor, approaching him, talking, the flattering, his come on, going to the room, seeing the photos of the girl, the sexual behaviour, stripping, voyeur, the sexual experience, her humiliation? The classroom, reading the story, the various reactions, the students thinking it was unreal, fake, anti-women? The Professor and his praising the story, as an improvement, a little truth? Vi and her being left, the audience being left, with an open ending?

5. Non-fiction: Scooby and his interview, inarticulate, wanting to host a talk-show? The career advisor and his bewilderment?

6. Toby and his ambitions, flatmate, wanting to make the film, approaching people to support, the discussion with the school principal, encountering Scooby, making his decision?

7. Scooby and his family, his staying in his room, introverted, off-hand, limited in his outlook? Brady, taunting his brother, sports, the accident, his being in hospital in a coma? Mikey, very young, precocious, his talk at the table? Mark and Fern, their marriage, Mark’s dominance, Fern and her explaining things away, making excuses? Mark and his strong opinions, sending the boys from the table? Brady suggesting that Scooby was gay, Mark’s reaction? The interview with Toby, the mercenary touch?

8. The scenes of making the film, Toby and his cameraman, the setups, the reality filming, going to the editor, her comments, her critique of Toby’s looking down on the family, his defence?

9. The family, the suburbs, the Jewish background, the references, the Holocaust, migrants to the United States, the different generations? Business? Scooby in his room, silent, the gay friend, his allowing him to touch him? The visits to Brady in hospital?

10. Mikey, his comments, his adult manner, discussing things with Consuelo, her work, family, her son in prison, murder and rape, capital punishment? Her work around the house, the weeping? Mikey spilling things on the floor, unable to fix them himself, seeking Consuelo, the discussions with her? His complaining to his father about her?

11. The hypnotism, Mikey wanting to do it, his father submitting, Mikey filling his father with ideas, favouring him, saying that Consuelo was lazy wanting her fired? Mark coming to, talking favourably to Mikey, the discussions at home, dismissing Consuelo?

12. Scooby wanting to see the film, his interviews for Toby, expressing himself, his imagining that he could be a talk-host, the fantasy and his meeting the real Conan O’ Brien, being interviewed by him, his hopes of succeeding him? Going to the school, the students watching the film, the loud laughter, Scooby and the humiliation?

13. Consuelo, being dismissed, coming to the house, connecting the pipes, gassing the family?

14. Scooby’s return, the scene of the accident, his looking on in bewilderment? His future?

15. The two films as examples of the director’s perspective, a critical view of life and people, somewhat suddenly and sour?