The Daytrippers (1996)

About The Daytrippers

The Daytrippers is a delightful and sharp-witted independent film that follows the story of Eliza, who finds a mysterious love letter to her husband and decides to track him down to confront him about it. She embarks on this journey with her eccentric family who each have their tale to tell. The trip around Manhattan turns out to be much more than a quest for truth, evolving into a wry and illuminating portrait of familial love.

Making / Production

The movie was directed by Greg Mottola and produced by Steven Soderbergh and Nancy Tenenbaum. Despite being a low-budget indie film, The Daytrippers managed to secure an impressive cast and received positive reviews for its humor and narrative style. It was mostly filmed on location in Manhattan and Long Island.

Actors

• Hope Davis as Eliza - She does a fantastic job portraying an innocent spouse, adding deeper layers to her character's emotional journey.
• Stanley Tucci as Louis D'Amico - His performance as the potentially unfaithful husband is engaging and subtle.
• Parker Posey as Jo Malone - She portrays Eliza's sister with a mix of confidence and insecurity.
• Liev Schreiber as Carl Petrovic - He effectively plays Jo's intellectual novelist boyfriend, brimming with the eccentricities of a self-absorbed writer.
• Anne Meara as Rita Malone - A portrayal of Eliza's concerned mother that brings depth and humor to the character.

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film was shot in less than a month during the autumn season.
• Director Greg Mottola also wrote the screenplay for the film.
• The movie was Greg Mottola's directorial debut.

Awards

The Daytrippers won the Grand Jury Prize at the Slamdance Festival. The movie was also nominated for several Independent Spirit Awards.

Quotes

• "Love's a bear." - Jo Malone
• "God, I feel like a quote out of context." - Carl Petrovic

Music, Soundtrack

• Ramin Djawadi - Composed the original score for the film.
• "Late Autumn Dream" - by The Wrens
• "I Got A Feelin'" - by Fats Waller