Spanking the Monkey

Mother is in bed after a suicide attempt. Daddy is a travelling salesman in do-it-yourself videos. This leaves Ray, the teenage son, trapped in a world of laundry, feedings, pills and vodka which is life with the depressed mother. There is not even a corner for wanking (spanking the monkey is slang for this) - Frank the dog howls demandingly outside the bathroom door.

At the same time the dog is the only salvation in a claustrophobic indoor life with a stifling mother. And even an unwitting guide towards his first teenage love, Toni, the daughter of a psychiatrist. Despite Ray's introvert nature Toni becomes interested and they begin an awkward sexual relationship, riddled with performance anxiety. This relationship affects Ray's role as a nurse towards the mother. There are feelings of sexual jealousy.

The washing rituals with the attractive mother, who broke her leg during her suicide attempt, becomes increasingly intimate and soon becomes incestuous.

Despite its gravity the film has a comical subtext. The delicate subject is saturated with humour. Here the actual scene of incest becomes more of a metaphor for a child's liberation from its parents. The familiar Oedipus theme is seen in a new light. Here the dog becomes a guide in an otherwise confused human kingdom. The film won the Audience Award at this year's Sundance festival.

Medverkande
Jeremy Davies, Alberta Watson, Carlo Gallo: Producent
Dean Silvers: Manus
David O. Russell: Foto
Michael Mayers: Musik
David Carbonara: Talat språk
English