Inventing the Abbotts

The story of three influential years in the lives of the Abbott girls and the Holt boys. The girls’ wealthy dad insists that his daughters Pam and Eleanor marry rich, but Pam is drawn to her friend Doug Holt, and Doug’s brother Jacey pines for Eleanor. Joaquin Phoenix, Billy Crudup, Liv Tyler, Will Patton, Kathy Baker., A light-hearted story of two brothers courting three sisters., Coming-of-age tale set in 1950s small-town America about a wealthy industrialist who sweet-talks a widow into giving him the patent for her late husband’s invention. As an act of revenge, her son sets about seducing each of the fat cat’s daughters. But his younger brother also has an eye on one of the sisters., Coming-of-age drama set in 1950s small-town America. Wealthy industrialist Lloyd Abbott (Will Patton) is believed to have sweet-talked working class widow Helen Holt (Kathy Baker) into signing over the patent to her late husband’s invention. As an act of revenge, her son Jacey (Billy Crudup) sets about seducing each of Abbott’s three daughters but his younger brother Doug (Joaquin Phoenix) also has his eye on one of the sisters…, A talented young cast boosts this rough-edged romantic drama concerning two brothers from the wrong side of the tracks. Their intertwining relationships with daughters of the most powerful family in their small town cover several years, and director Pat O’Connor paints the characters’ changing lives in detailed, believable strokes. Romantic and full of crowd-pleasing class conflict, Inventing the Abbotts might best be described as an ’80s Brat Pack drama with added emotional depth. An entertaining (if minor) drama, it will appeal most to teen and twentysomething audiences.