Igby Goes Down is a dark comedy-drama film released in 2002, directed by Burr Steers and starring Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes, Jeff Goldblum, Susan Sarandon, Ryan Phillippe, and Jared Harris. The film follows Igby Slocumb, a rebellious and intelligent seventeen-year-old from a wealthy, dysfunctional family living in New York City.
Igby's mother, Mimi, is a controlling and manipulative socialite, and his father, Jason, is a schizophrenic and emotionally distant man who spends most of his time in a mental institution. Igby's older brother, Ollie, is a successful businessman for their family's firm, but he is also a pretentious and self-absorbed opportunist.
Igby struggles with his identity and finds himself at odds with his family and his privileged upbringing. He is kicked out of various private schools, gets involved in drug and alcohol abuse, and has an affair with one of his mother's friends, Rachel.
As Igby tries to figure out his place in the world, he seeks refuge in a bohemian artist named Sookie who introduces him to her free-spirited lifestyle. But things start to take a turn for the worse when Igby learns the truth about his father's past and becomes disillusioned with his family and his life.
The film's title refers to a phrase the family uses when referring to the act of committing suicide. As the story progresses, Igby starts to feel like he can no longer "go down" with his family and their toxic relationships and decides to go his own way, no matter what the consequences may be.
Overall, Igby Goes Down is a dark, witty, and insightful coming-of-age story that explores themes of identity, family dysfunction, mental illness, and class struggle. It received critical acclaim upon its release and has since become a cult classic.