Beautiful, sophisticated women are all over Oscar Grubman. He is sensitive and compassionate, speaks French fluently, is passionate about Voltaire, and thinks the feature that tells the most about a woman is her hands. On the train home from Chauncey Academy for the Thanksgiving weekend, Oscar confides in his best friend that he has plans for this vacation--he will win the heart of his true love. But there is one major problem--Oscar's true love is his stepmother Eve. Oscar is certain that he could be a better mate to Eve than his work-obsessed father. He fails to win Eve's heart and is consequently dejected. Oscar's path to his true love is further crossed by Diane, Eve's best friend who, one night while wearing Eve's borrowed perfumed scarf, offers him temporary comfort in an unconventional tryst. For Diane, Oscar fills a void in her life. For Oscar, Diane is somewhat of a distraction, as his continued pursuit of Eve leads to an unexpected resolution. Written by
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mwyarbrough from Chicago
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I'm perplexed by the number of people who seem to miss the crucial element of this film: that Oscar is not as mature as he thinks he is. His "love" for Eve doesn't feel real to the viewer because it's not. His patter--at tea, in the bar, and elsewhere--feels forced and self-conscious because it is. Because he is very intelligent, he makes the classic adolescent mistake of overestimating his own maturity and the force of his own feelings. As Diane, Bebe Neuwirth points out that it's not his maturity that draws so many women to him, but that he is still unjaded. That is, his most attractive quality is in fact the precise opposite of what he thinks it is. Eve's rebuff, though a bit ambivalent, forces him to reevaluate his own feelings. The film's only major flaw is that it leaves this process underexplicated, but when at the end he is more responsive to his classmate's overtures it becomes clear that he is starting to see the light, however vaguely. The film's point is thus obvious: a crucial part of growing up is realizing how much growing up one has left to do. That it makes this point in such a refreshing, funny, and absurd way is the film's charm.
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campanologist from London
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I don't understand the attacks that have been made on this film - not just on this site, but elsewhere on the web.
There are a few holes in the script, and the whole things is less substantial than a soap bubble, but it's still charming, witty and very funny. There are points where you feel they haven't followed something up enough, or explained something enough, but this film has better developed characters than almost any other romantic comedy you could name. Plus, of course, explanation isn't everything. In fact, sometimes, you're better off without it. A film that requires you to think, speculate or assume what might have happened between scenes - or before the film started - isn't that a good thing?
Much has been made of the DV look of the film, but I hardly noticed - and I like a well shot piece of celluloid as much as the next person. Sometimes, though, you just don't need the gorgeous, sweeping vistas of Lawrence of Arabia - and this is a small, independent gem. The use of DV is probably rather more to do with budget than laziness. In fact laziness would seem to be an unlikely part of the equation, what with the film being shot in a fortnight.
If the thought of a 15-year-old spouting Voltaire fills you with the urge to punch someone, this probably isn't the film for you. But how often does a thoughtful, not formulaic, intelligent, witty film come along. My advice would be to disregard the minor flaws and enjoy. 8/10
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Chris Thomas (kwar891@yahoo.com) from Chicago, Illinois
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I was lucky enough to see this film at the Cine Vegas Film Festival last week and I must say that I am shocked at its low overall score thus far. The best part of this film is its screenplay. Heather McGowen and Niels Mueller did an wonderful job putting this story together. If you are looking for a film that knows how to develop its characters, build suspense and most importantly can tell a story the way it is meant to be told, then you need to see Tadpole. The acting in this film was also excellent. Bebe Neuwirth, John Ritter and Aaron Stanford gave great performances. This is a funny and touching film that anyone that is a fan of a good screenplay will enjoy.
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ilikeimdb from Arlington, VA USA
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I've read some other comments about the poor film quality/picture quality of this low-budget, quickly done fairly short (77 minutes) film. Frankly, I'd rather watch Tadpole ten times than sit through the horribly boring technically beautiful special effects of either StarWars I or II. Tadpole captures the essence of interesting film making by focusing on the characters, the story, the situations; and it does so in a way that's doesn't parrot yet another low-brow TV situation comedy. Between the inspired writing, the well nuanced acting on all counts (with nary a weak performance anywhere), and the decent editing, I fail to see how one can complain about this movie from the perspective of it being an enjoyable mini-novella/romp through New York. Comments I've read on the weak acting I find unsupportable by any normative standard.
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Mike Weston (mweston) from Silicon Valley, CA
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Oscar Grubman (newcomer Aaron Stanford, who is really about 25 years old) is a precocious high school sophomore. *Really* precocious. He regularly speaks French in his normal life, and seems to always be reading Voltaire (the one liners seen throughout the film as inter-titles are apparently Voltaire quotes).
The film happens over a long Thanksgiving weekend in New York City. We first see Oscar on the train on his way home, briefly talking to a pretty classmate who seems interested in him. After she leaves, Oscar's friend Charlie (Robert Iler from "The Sopranos"), who may be the sanest character in the film, asks Oscar about her, and Oscar dismisses her by saying that her hands are those of a baby. Apparently he appreciates hands that show more character.
We soon learn that the hands he really likes belong to Eve (Sigourney Weaver). She's a medical researcher, whose marriage to Oscar's father, Stanley (John Ritter), makes her Oscar's stepmother. Oscar does not seem deterred by this little obstacle. I can see his point, as I am also a huge fan of Weaver's (even going so far as to see "Heartbreakers"), but the age difference is pretty extreme, not to mention that little almost incest issue.
Diane (Bebe Neuwirth from "Cheers"), is a chiropractor who is Eve's best friend. *You might want to skip the rest of this paragraph if you don't know much about the film already.* Oscar runs into Diane late at night after drinking too much, and when he smells Eve's perfume on a scarf Diane borrowed, Oscar "accidentally" ends up sleeping with her. This scenario is of course reminiscent of "The Graduate," although Oscar's age causes some to question whether this is comedy or statutory rape. I vote for the former, and in fact Oscar's inexplicable ability to easily be served alcohol in a neighborhood bar bothered me more.
Much comedy ensues. In fact, it occurred to me later that low budget independent films are rarely comedies, and even more rarely this well done. The writing was was only adequate to good, but the performances were very good, especially from Bebe Neuwirth. And some of the wordless reaction shots are priceless.
The film was shot on digital video and transferred to film for distribution to most theaters. I have read complaints about the quality, but it seemed tolerable to me, except perhaps in the opening shots from the train. What matters is that it is not distracting.
I enjoyed this film quite a bit. It isn't life altering in the slightest, but it isn't trying to be. It's definitely worth checking out.
Seen on 8/31/2002.
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Jaimer from Seattle, WA
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I don't think I can give an intellectual critique of this movie, because I reacted to it in a very emotional way: I loved it. I laughed all the way through. The thing that struck me so funny wasn't the dialogue so much as the facial expressions of the performers (though I did laugh every time Bebe Neuwirth opened her mouth.) The look on Charlie's face when he finds out Oscar is in love with his stepmother, the amused look on Diane's face as she watches Oscar panic during dinner at the French restaurant...I could go on.
Also, John Ritter performs the funniest choke take I have ever seen, during the aforementioned French restaurant scene. In short, I enjoyed this movie immensely and have already recommended it to all of my friends.
Finally, in response to the person who found the Voltaire quotes pretentious: I agree, but I think that was the point. After all, a 15 year old who reads Voltaire and thinks girls his age are beneath him is pretty damn pretentious himself.
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Roland E. Zwick (magneteach@aol.com) from United States
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Oscar Grubman is a `40 year-old trapped in a 15 year-old's body,' a bright prep school sophomore who prefers Voltaire and Henry Miller to icons of pop culture and more `seasoned' women to girls his own age. The problem is that the woman he fancies himself in love with now is his very own stepmother, a heart specialist appropriately enough named Eve.
Despite the admittedly touchy subject matter, `Tadpole' exudes a great deal of undeniable charm, thanks, primarily, to superb performances by a first-rate cast and to the wry humor of much of the Heather McGowan/Niels Muller screenplay. Aaron Stanford and Sigourney Weaver are wonderful as Oscar and Eve, two extremely intelligent people who know that in other circumstances they might have been able to act on their feelings but who have the wisdom and maturity to see things for what they truly are. The possibility of giving into a `forbidden love' can exert a powerful force on an individual, and `Tadpole' does a nice job capturing that theme in a lighthearted, non-threatening way.
Of course, `Tadpole' taps into that age-old fantasy of a young boy's obsession with an older woman and one wonders how the audience would feel if the situation were reversed and he were the 40 year-old and she the 15 year-old in the relationship. I suspect, somehow, that a film on that subject would carry with it a darker, more sinister tone than the one we find in `Tadpole.' Actually, there are a number of very funny scenes in this film, with much of the humor deriving from the secrecy, misunderstandings and double entendres that would naturally arise from such a situation. Indeed, some of the movie plays like classic Restoration farce with an ersatz-incestuous twist. A good deal of the humor arises from the fact that the older women in the film see in this precocious teenager the kind of passion, intelligence and sensitivity that they don't find in men their own age.
Director Gary Winick shot the film in a digital format, giving the movie a slightly shaggy `independent' feel. This heightens the sense of intimacy and immediacy needed to confront this particular topic without seeming to exploit it at the same time. A slicker, more `commercial' look and approach would most likely have made the film appear too sleazy, distasteful and arch. As it is, we are amused at the same time we are appalled.
`Tadpole,' by lowering the protagonist's age and keeping the matter `all in the family' so to speak, has brought `The Graduate' into the 21st Century.
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Neil Doyle from U.S.A.
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With subject matter that many might consider offensive (fifteen year-old boy in love with his step-mother and seduced by older woman), TADPOLE manages to be a charming, witty light comedy with a sensitive look at a controversial theme--a coming-of-age story with heart.
And its hero, a sophisticated fifteen year-old played by a twenty-five year-old actor (AARON STANFORD), is a natural in the title role, completely convincing as the impressionable youth living with his step-mother (SIGOURNEY WEAVER) and father (JOHN RITTER) in a fancy New York City apartment. Ritter plays the busy working father in one of his rare serious roles and is excellent, as is Weaver as the woman who discovers that her son has been having an affair with her best friend (BEBE NEUWIRTH). Neuwirth makes the most of her sly comic scenes as a temptress who awakens hormones in the teen-ager. A restaurant scene with the boy and his parents is a highlight of the story, where her deceptive conduct is exposed by Ritter's observation of an indiscretion in a mirrored image.
Witty and humorous, never taking itself seriously, it's an amiable tale told with deft touches and it moves briskly under Gary Winick's nimble direction with some nice glimpses of Manhattan's upper east side.
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Beckygo from Ohio
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I definitely liked this film. I am not basing this off of any sort of critical analysis of cinematography or directing or whatnot, except for the fact that I liked it, so I do think the acting was good. I am basing this off of the fact that when I left the theater, I felt good. The end was realistic, the movie wasn't fluff, and I felt content. I don't know when a movie has made me feel this good, but it hasn't been since, certainly. Also, being a fan of New York City and that it was filmed and set there adds to my enjoyment. It was smart, witty, and if I may say so, I find Aaron Stanford to be quite attractive. It wasn't particularly deep, but who cares, it was light and great. If you have seen Lovely and Amazing or Good Girl, you know that these two movies are about older women who have affairs with younger men. Same with this one, however, those two, as realistic as they are, are not light hearted. So yes I enjoyed this movie, the other two mentioned are also good, just don't leave one feeling sublime.
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mchofan15 from Columbus, OH
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This movie was wonderous! Bebe Neuwrirth desirves an oscar for sheer charm alone! There has been few rare occasions where I came out of a movie glowing (for example "The Royal Tenenbaums" and "Kissing Jessica Stein") and this movie caused such an occasion. It has some of the best writing since "Election". You must see this film! "If we can't find something pleasant, at least we will find something new..."10/10
The film was criticized at the Sundance Festival for its poor technical quality. It was shot on video and suffered from blown out backgrounds, inconsistent color, poor night shots, etc.
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During various unused takes, local residents Jerry Seinfeld, Joel Coen, and Frances McDormand happened to wander through the frame.
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Aaron Stanford's feature debut. Although his character is 15, Stanford was 23.
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Because of the film's threadbare budget, the cast had to take a pay-cut. Even an A-lister like Sigourney Weaver.
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The name "Tadpole" came from the game Pictionary. The whole film was shot in about two weeks. Sigourney Weaver worked for 10 of those days.
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The caf where the three ladies meet and Diane introduces Oscar to her friends was also the location where director Gary Winick arranged a meeting with Sigourney Weaver before production, to play the part of Eve. After Weaver spoke to the restaurant owner, they agreed to let them use it in the film.
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Diane's apartment is actually Gary Winick's mother's apartment.
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Filmed in 2000, but not released until 2002.
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Filmed in 2000.
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When Eve and Oscar are playing tennis, Oscar calls the score as "15-30", and then serves the ball to the left side of the court. It should have been served to the right side.
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When Oscar helps Eve wash the dishes, before he kisses her, the bowls on the shelf in front of them change, (the rice bowls on the left front) change to behind the saucers.
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When Oscar shakes hands with Samantha at Payard his hands are bare, but a moment later when he asks to speak to Diane privately he has on a pair of black leather gloves.
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When Oscar and Charlie are riding in the car, the scenery outside Charlie's window moves twice as fast as the scenery outside Oscar's window.
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love|friend|best friend|boy|french|coming of age|scarf|thanksgiving|love slave|kissing|dinner|bare chested male|manhattan new york city|hit on the head with a ball|time lapse photography|breaking the fourth wall|talking to the camera|cigarette smoking|teenage girl|teenage boy|dating|subway|dog|chiropractor|dentist|kiss|montage|friendship|drinking|drink|sex|central park manhattan new york city|columbia university|mother son relationship|slow motion scene|grand central station manhattan new york city|older woman younger man relationship|kitchen|family relationships|drunkenness|dysfunctional family|wine|train ride|tea|stepmother stepson relationship|philosophy|party|goodbye|father son relationship|fake sideburns|drunken sex|doorman|business card|boyfriend girlfriend relationship|new york city|massage|crush|seduction|restaurant|tadpoling|sideburns|tennis|reference to voltaire|preparatory school|independent film|
AKAs Titles:
Bulgaria (Bulgarian title) - ’акан†и‚а на žка€
Brazil (festival title) - Um Jovem Sedutor
Germany - Alle lieben Oscar
Germany (festival title) - Alle lieben Oscar oder Wie verfhrt man seine Stiefmutter
Denmark (TV title) - Tilbederen
Finland - Min ja aikuiset naiset
France - S duction en mode mineur
Hungary - Mostohm a zsnerem
Italy - Tadpole
Italy (long title) - Tadpole - Un giovane seduttore a New York
Poland - Debiutant
Russia - ›овела
Release Dates:
Certifications:
Australia:MA (cable rating) / France:U / Germany:12 / Iceland:12 / Netherlands:MG6 / Portugal:M/12 / Singapore:PG / Switzerland:12 (canton of Geneva) / Switzerland:12 (canton of Vaud) / UK:15 / USA:PG-13 (certificate #39070)
Movie Details:
MOVIE
