greeting again from the darkness . writer or director ( and wes anderson collaborator ) noah baumbach present a semi autobiographical therapy session where he unleash the anguish and turmoil that have carry over from his childhood . the result be an amazing insight into what many people go through in a desperate attempt to try and make their family work . the casting of jeff daniel force u to view him a the grown up flap from term of endearment . he have become a bitter and unfocused and pompous as of a person and father and husband and professor . the inability to recapture the magic of his early writing success have cause him to look down on all other writer . whether they be fitzgerald or his own wife . this be daniels best work ever on screen and be at once and painful and a joy to behold . laura linney play his wife a a woman who love her kid unequivocally and have a zest for life that her downbeat husband no long share . her new found success a a writer set her off on a trail of confidence and joy and all the while understand that her family still need her very much . the kid really take the film to the next level . jessie eisenberg ( brilliant in roger dodger ) and owen kline ( son of kevin kline and phoebe cates ) be both scene stealer a they struggle in their own distinct way with their separated parent and their continuance through adolescence . watch eisenberg worship his dad and subsequently realize the truth be just amazing stuff . kline outburst on the tennis court and at the ping pong table be nothing compare to his discovery of alcohol and self pleasure . the angst and pain these two experience be felt by million of kid in divorce situation . other outstanding performance include william baldwin ( the one from backdraft ) and holly feifer ( a eisenberg first girlfriend ) and anna paquin ( underused and but still very effective ) . baldwin provide some comic relief with his incessant my brother narrative and feifer be extraordinary in capture teen adoration a she lust after eisenberg . thanks to her distinct similarity in look to linney and i laugh outloud when daniel tell eisenberg she not my type . listen to daniel try to manipulate everyone he communicate with cause immense dislike among viewer and but we can not help but feel some empathy for him a he seem to believe he be do all he can do put his family back together . his fatherly advice be not to be miss ( or follow . ) . watch him look for the perfect parking place be really his search for his place in a world that have desert him . baumbach have create a terrific film and probably exorcise some personal demon along the way . definitely not a film for the whole family and but it offer much insight and many message . also the use of the soundtrack be downright brilliant include key music from pink floyd and loudon wainright .