Taglines: Everyone says he should date girls his own age. Oscar respectfully disagrees.
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.
Tadpole is a 2002 American romantic comedy film directed by Gary Winick and written by Heather McGowan and Niels Mueller. It stars Aaron Stanford, Bebe Neuwirth, Sigourney Weaver, John Ritter, Robert Iler, Kate Mara, Michael Connors, Theo Kogan, Alicia Van Couvering and Aaron Stanford.
On a budget of $150,000, the film made $3,200,241 worldwide; from $2,891,288 in North America and $308,953 in other territories. The film opened with $80,682 in its opening weekend (7/19-21) and raised 34% ($273,373) in the second weekend.
About the Story
Oscar Grubman (Aaron Stanford) is a 15-year-old boy, portrayed as mature beyond his years, traveling home from school for Thanksgiving. He speaks fluent French, quotes Voltaire and finds girls of his own age to be inexperienced in life. When an attractive girl from his school, Miranda Spear (Kate Mara), who is obviously interested in him, approaches Oscar, he politely brushes her off. Oscar confides in his friend Charlie (Robert Iler) that he is in love with a mature woman and plans to win her heart during Thanksgiving break.
Oscar arrives at the apartment of his father, Columbia University history professor and author, Stanley Grubman (John Ritter), and stepmother, the passionate cardiologist, Eve (Sigourney Weaver). That evening, the Grubmans hold a party where Stanley introduces him to a girl of his age, but Oscar rebuffs her as well while staring at the object of his affection: his stepmother.
Oscar tries to open up to her, but the unsuspecting Eve doesn’t pick up on any of his advances. Stanley tells him to walk the girl home, but he hails her a cab. Depressed from his failure with the older woman, Oscar goes to a bar and gets drunk. He bumps into Eve’s best friend, chiropractor Diane Lodder (Bebe Neuwirth), who offers to take him to her own apartment seeing his current condition. Once there, Diane begins to massage him and they end up having sex. Oscar wakes the next morning and has an awkward encounter with Diane’s boyfriend, Phil.
Back at home, Oscar plans a surprise lunch for Eve but first Stanley inquires about where Oscar spent the night. Oscar makes up a story about meeting Miranda Spear from school. He brings lunch to Eve at her lab, where he opens up to her once more, pondering the use of the heart as a symbol for affection. Together they decide that the liver should be the new symbol for love.
Their conversation is interrupted by a phone call from Stanley, who mentions that Diane will be joining them for dinner. Worried that Diane will tell Eve about their tryst, Oscar finds Diane at a tea room with several of her friends. All act as though they know about the previous evening, and most of the women twice his age flirt with him. Oscar makes Diane promise to keep last night a secret from Stanley and especially Eve.
At dinner, Diane drinks and behaves coyly. She plays footsie with Oscar and flirts with him in French. After she excuses herself from the table, Oscar follows to confront her. She kisses him while not being totally out of Stanley’s view, after which Diane admits to Stanley and Eve that she and Oscar are lovers.
Tadpole (2002)
Directed by: Gary Winick
Starring: Aaron Stanford, Bebe Neuwirth, Sigourney Weaver, John Ritter, Robert Iler, Kate Mara, Michael Connors, Theo Kogan, Alicia Van Couvering, Aaron Stanford
Screenplay by: Heather McGowan, Niels Mueller
Production Design by: Anthony Gasparro
Cinematography by: Hubert Taczanowski
Film Editing by: Susan Littenberg
Costume Design by: Suzanne Schwarzer
Art Direction by: Sara Parks
Music by: Renaud Pion
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sexual content, mature thematic elements and language.
Distributed by: Miramax Films
Release Date: August 2, 2002
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