Plot
Kieran Culkin plays Jason 'Igby' Slocumb, a sarcastic seventeen year old boy, rebelling against the oppressive world of his strict East Coast "
old money" family. His father Jason (
Bill Pullman) suffering from
schizophrenia has been committed to an institution, Igby fears a mental breakdown like his father. His mother Mimi (
Susan Sarandon) is self-absorbed and distant. Igby mockingly describes his ambitious older brother Ollie (
Ryan Phillippe) as a facist or alternatively a Young
Republican, and that he studies Neo-Fascism (Economics) at
Columbia University.
Igby figures there must be a better life out there, and he sets out to find it, rebelling against his family at every opportunity. After happily flunking out of several
prep schools, ending up in a brutal military academy where he gets beaten by his fellow students "and Igby goes down". After escaping and spending time in a Chicago hotel courtesy of his mothers credit card Igby is sent to New York for the summer to his godfather D.H. Banes (
Jeff Goldblum). While working construction for D.H. he first encounters Rachel (
Amanda Peet) a "dancer who doesn't dance" and his godfather's
heroin-addicted trophy mistress. Rather than return to school he escapes into the
bohemian underworld of Manhattan, hiding out with Rachel and her friend Russel (
Jared Harris) "an artist who doesn't paint". He hooks up terminally bored, part-time lover Sookie (
Claire Danes), only for her later leave him for his brother Ollie.
Despite seeming cold and distant Mimi is not unaffected by her rebellious son. She describes Igby's conception as an act of malice and it shouldn't be a surprise that his life follows the same course. His name is explained as a family in-joke. As a child he would blame his Digby toy bear for things he had done, mispronouncing it as "Igby". In order to get him to take responsibility for his actions his family would call him Igby whenever he lied.
Igby is informed by D.H. his mother Mimi is dying from cancer and so he returns to see her. She has arranged to commit assisted suicide with help of Ollie, who sedates her and suffocates her using a plastic bag. Before she dies Mimi makes a final revelation, casually enquiring of Igby "I take it you know that D.H. is your father?". The film ends with Igby leaving for California, attempt to finally make a clean break by getting 3000 miles away from his family.
Director
Burr Steers' uncle
Gore Vidal has a brief cameo as a Catholic priest. wikipedia.com
