The mid-90s were weirdly obsessed with the "slacker." You had Clerks, Reality Bites, and a dozen other movies trying to capture that specific flavor of Gen X aimlessness. But most of them felt like they were trying too hard to be cool. Then came Kicking and Screaming 1995, the directorial debut of Noah Baumbach. It wasn’t cool. It was awkward. It was hyper-literate. It was, honestly, a bit painful to watch if you’ve ever spent a Tuesday afternoon wondering why your philosophy degree hasn't unlocked the secrets of the universe yet.
Most movies about college end with graduation. The caps fly, the music swells, and the characters drive off into the sunset of their "real lives." Baumbach did something different. He started the movie exactly where the others ended. He focused on that paralyzing "now what?" phase.
The paralyzing comfort of the campus bubble
The plot of Kicking and Screaming 1995 is famously thin, mostly because the characters themselves are refusing to let their lives have a plot. Grover, played by Josh Hamilton, is the de facto lead. His girlfriend, Jane (Olivia d'Abo), actually has her life together enough to move to Prague for a writing fellowship. Grover stays behind. He doesn't stay behind because he has a job or a plan. He stays behind because the campus bar, the local diner, and his three best friends represent a safety net that is slowly turning into a spider web.
It’s about that specific brand of arrested development where you think that as long as you keep talking about great literature or arguing over trivia, you aren't actually aging. You're still a student of life. Except you aren't enrolled anymore.
Max, played with a legendary level of cynicism by Chris Eigeman, is the heart of the movie's dialogue. Eigeman was the muse for this era of indie film—he was also in Whit Stillman’s Metropolitan—and he delivers lines with a rapid-fire, deadpan precision that feels like a defense mechanism. He's terrified of being ordinary. If he can just stay in this college town and be the smartest guy in the room, he never has to face the fact that he's just another guy with a bachelor's degree.
Why the dialogue feels so different from modern movies
Listen to how people talk in movies now. Everything is a quip. Everything is a Joss Whedon-style "well, that happened" moment. In Kicking and Screaming 1995, the dialogue is dense. It's performative. These characters aren't just talking; they are trying to prove they exist.
They argue about whether they've seen Friday the 13th or just seen the trailers. They debate the merits of different pajamas. It sounds like filler, but it's actually the whole point. When you have no forward momentum in your life, conversation becomes your only hobby. Baumbach captures the way certain groups of friends develop a shorthand that is totally impenetrable to outsiders.
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It’s kind of funny. No, it’s actually hilarious, but in a way that makes you wince. Like when Otis (Carlos Jacott) decides to "withdraw" from his first day of grad school because he just can't handle the idea of more school, yet he can't handle the idea of leaving either. He’s stuck in the hallway of life. Literally.
A cast that defined the 90s indie scene
The ensemble here is a "who’s who" of that specific era. You’ve got Eric Stoltz playing Chet, the "eternal student" who has been a bartender at the local haunt for about a decade. Chet is the ghost of Christmas future for these guys. He’s well-read, he’s charming, and he’s absolutely going nowhere.
Then there’s Parker Posey. If you’re talking about 1990s independent cinema, you have to mention Parker Posey. Her role here isn't massive, but she brings that specific energy that made her the "Indie Queen."
- Josh Hamilton as Grover: The guy who can't let go of the girl or the town.
- Chris Eigeman as Max: The king of the "I'm too smart for this" attitude.
- Carlos Jacott as Otis: The one who is genuinely afraid of everything.
- Jason Wiles as Skippy: The one who tries to stay in college by dating a freshman.
The chemistry between these four is what keeps the movie from becoming a chore. You believe they’ve spent four years together. You believe they’ve had the same three arguments five hundred times.
Breaking down the "Prague" problem
A lot of people watch Kicking and Screaming 1995 and get frustrated with Grover. Jane is in Prague! Go to Prague! It’s the mid-90s, the Iron Curtain has fallen, and it's the coolest place on earth for an American ex-pat writer.
But Grover’s refusal to go isn't about Jane. It’s about the fear that if he leaves the environment where he’s "Grover the writer," he might just be "Grover the guy who can't write." The movie uses Prague as this symbol of actual adulthood and risk. By staying in the college town, he gets to keep his potential intact. As long as he doesn't try, he hasn't failed yet.
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This is a nuance that most coming-of-age movies miss. Usually, the obstacle is a villain or a lack of money. Here, the obstacle is just the characters' own egos. They are their own worst enemies.
The technical side: Baumbach’s burgeoning style
You can see the seeds of The Squid and the Whale and Marriage Story here. Baumbach has always been interested in the way people use language to hurt each other or to hide. The cinematography by Steven Bernstein isn't flashy. It’s grainy and looks like a rainy Tuesday in a town that has too many bookstores.
It feels lived-in. The costumes aren't "movie costumes." They are just the slightly ill-fitting sweaters and corduroy jackets of guys who haven't bought new clothes since their sophomore year.
Interestingly, the movie didn't set the box office on fire. It was a Criterion Collection pick later on, which is where most people discover it now. It’s one of those films that gains more power as you get older. When you're 18, it’s a warning. When you're 22, it's a documentary. When you're 40, it's a nostalgia trip that makes you glad you finally grew up.
Misconceptions about the title
One thing that always trips people up is the title. If you search for "Kicking and Screaming," you usually find the Will Ferrell soccer movie from 2005. That is... a very different vibe.
The Kicking and Screaming 1995 version refers to the way these graduates are being dragged into adulthood. They aren't going willingly. They aren't excited about their "bright futures." They are digging their heels into the dirt of the campus quad.
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How it compares to the "Slacker" canon
If you look at Richard Linklater’s Slacker, it’s more about the philosophy of a whole city (Austin). If you look at Clerks, it’s about the drudgery of the service industry. Kicking and Screaming 1995 sits in its own little niche of "academic inertia."
It’s specifically about people who were told they were special because they were good at school, and then realized that being good at school is a temporary superpower.
Actionable ways to enjoy the film today
If you’re going to watch it—or rewatch it—there are a few things you should do to actually "get" it.
First, don't watch it while you're distracted. The movie is 90% dialogue. If you miss a line, you miss the character beat. It’s a movie that requires you to actually listen to the words.
Second, look at the background characters. Baumbach fills the screen with actual students who are moving with purpose, which highlights how static the main characters are. It’s a clever visual trick.
Third, check out the short film Conrad & Butler Take a Vacation if you can find it. It stars some of the same cast and has a similar Baumbach energy.
What to do next
If the themes of Kicking and Screaming 1995 resonate with you, or if you're currently feeling that post-grad "stuckness," here is how to dive deeper into this specific cinematic world:
- Watch the "informal trilogy" of Chris Eigeman. Start with Metropolitan, then this film, and finish with The Last Days of Disco. It’s the ultimate exploration of over-educated young people talking their way through life.
- Compare it to Baumbach’s later work. Watch Frances Ha. It’s almost a spiritual successor, showing a similar type of aimlessness but in NYC and with a slightly more optimistic (or at least energetic) tone.
- Listen to the commentary. If you can get your hands on the Criterion DVD or Blu-ray, the interview with Baumbach is enlightening. He talks about how he was basically living this life while writing the script.
- Read the screenplay. It’s a masterclass in rhythm and timing. The way the characters interrupt each other is written specifically into the text.
The "real world" isn't as scary as these guys think it is, but the movie understands why they're afraid. It’s a snapshot of a very specific moment in time that somehow feels like it could be happening yesterday.