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      Spanking the Monkey

      Released Jul 15, 1994 1h 46m Comedy List
      92% 26 Reviews Tomatometer 55% 2,500+ Ratings Audience Score Bright young student Raymond Aibelli (Jeremy Davies) is forced to sidetrack an important medical internship because his mother, Susan (Alberta Watson), is recovering from a broken leg. When he isn't tasked with the most mundane aspects of Susan's recuperation, Raymond finds distraction in a neighborhood girl, Toni Peck (Carla Gallo). But, as Susan begins relying on her son for both physical and emotional needs, Raymond starts developing disturbing and unwanted new yearnings. Read More Read Less
      Spanking the Monkey

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      Critics Consensus

      David O. Russell's feature debut scores with an endearing cast and offbeat humor, finding compelling sweetness in perverse places.

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      Audience Reviews

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      TJ F Kinda weird but kinda good! Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/11/23 Full Review Rob Z Weird but funny. I liked the ending. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/10/23 Full Review Rob Z Pretty weird, but pretty good. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/02/23 Full Review Audience Member "Spanking the Monkey," a dark, far deeper Oedipal slant on "The Graduate", offers up a mostly slow, awkward, briefly kinky piece about a college-age kid striking out against his narcissistic parents. You'd never guess this from the nurk-nurk Seth Rogen-sort of title. Funny it is not. Still, it feels fresh and will hover with you a while, like it or not. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member Dark but funny. Don't watch with you mom lol. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/10/23 Full Review Audience Member Funny and weird. Love the Morphine song at the end. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/21/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Spanking the Monkey

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      Critics Reviews

      View All (26) Critics Reviews
      Joshua Katzman Chicago Reader What it achieves most plangently is a realistic, empathetic portrayal of a young man’s attempts at self-assertion, with all the pain, embarrassment, and missteps that go with it. The performances and mise-en-scene have a naturalistic quality. Rated: 2/4 Jun 6, 2022 Full Review Anderson Jones Detroit Free Press The film's somber subject matter is brightened by the crafty direction razor-sharp editing, snarky camera angles, close-up detail shots. And Raymond's charming innocence, nicely underplayed by novice actor Davies, will prompt more compassion than malice. Rated: 3/4 Apr 26, 2022 Full Review Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly Rated: B+ Sep 7, 2011 Full Review Mal Vincent The Virginian-Pilot This is not a feel-good movie. It is a unique effort to do something unusual with suburban pathos. Mar 22, 2022 Full Review Quentin Curtis Independent on Sunday Writer-director David O Russell's well-observed film captures the sullen defensiveness of adolescence, and finds humour and sensuality in strange places. Dec 14, 2017 Full Review Rob Gonsalves Rob's Movie Vault A bitingly funny tale of frustrated sexuality. Rated: A Apr 9, 2007 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Bright young student Raymond Aibelli (Jeremy Davies) is forced to sidetrack an important medical internship because his mother, Susan (Alberta Watson), is recovering from a broken leg. When he isn't tasked with the most mundane aspects of Susan's recuperation, Raymond finds distraction in a neighborhood girl, Toni Peck (Carla Gallo). But, as Susan begins relying on her son for both physical and emotional needs, Raymond starts developing disturbing and unwanted new yearnings.
      Director
      David O. Russell
      Producer
      David O. Russell, Stanley F. Buchthal, Janet Grillo
      Screenwriter
      David O. Russell
      Distributor
      Argentina Video Home, New Line Home Video [us], Fine Line Features
      Production Co
      Buckeye Films
      Genre
      Comedy
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Jul 15, 1994, Wide
      Release Date (DVD)
      Dec 6, 2005
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $1.4M
      Runtime
      1h 46m