Taglines: The American Dream was over. But the hangover was just beginning.
The Ice Storm movie storyline. It is Thanksgiving, 1973, and the climate is changing, politically and physically. As the Watergate scandal unfolds in the background, the inhabitants of New Canaan, Conneticut begin to slip into an existentialist void, wherein social taboos are shattered on whims and the line between adult authority and juvenile irresponsibility is practically nonexistant.
Focusing on two families in particular, the Hoods and the Carvers, “The Ice Storm” chronicles a brief period of rapid moral deterioration, as the characters shatter their social “roles” in pursuit of meaning and satisfaction, within an environment turned inwards on itself. As the narrative device of an “Ice Storm” builds up around them, the actions of the characters – including adultery, sexual experimentation, drug use and petty crimes – become increasingly unpredictable and impulsive. Once the “storm” hits, though, reality sinks in, and the severity of their situation becomes all to apparent in its bitter, and resonating aftermath.
The Ice Storm is a 1997 American drama film directed by Ang Lee, based on the 1994 novel of the same name by Rick Moody. The film features an ensemble cast of Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Elijah Wood, Katie Holmes, Glenn Fitzgerald, Jamey Sheridan, and Sigourney Weaver. Set during Thanksgiving 1973, The Ice Storm is about two dysfunctional New Canaan, Connecticut upper-class families who are trying to deal with tumultuous social changes of the early 1970s, and their escapism through alcohol, adultery, and sexual experimentation.
The film opened in the United States on September 26, 1997. Its release was limited and it ultimately grossed US$8 million on a budget of US$18 million. A special two-disc DVD set was released as part of the Criterion Collection on March 18, 2008.
The Ice Storm (1997)
Directed by: Ang Lee
Starring: Kevin Kline, Joan Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Henry Czerny, Adam Hann-Byrd, Tobey Maguire, Christina Ricci, Jamey Sheridan, Elijah Wood, Kate Burton, Katie Holmes
Screenplay by: James Schamus
Production Design by: Mark Friedberg
Cinematography by: Frederick Elmes
Film Editing by: Tim Squyres
Costume Design by: Carol Oditz
Set Decoration by: Stephanie Carroll
Art Direction by: Bob Shaw
Music by: Mychael Danna
MPAA Rating: R for sexuality and drug use, including scenes involving children, and for language.
Distributed by: Fox Searchlight Pictures
Release Date: September 26, 1997
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