2. The Squid And The Whale (2005)
Expectation: Yet another giant sea creature mash-up? A heart-warming animated tale about aquatic amity?
Reality: A divorce dramedy pitching Laura Linney against Jeff Daniels. Neither, it must be said, are made to resemble the above animals in any way. Instead the title comes from the diorama at the American Museum of Natural History that displays models of both creatures from the ceiling. It's an exhibit that son Walt (Jesse Eisenberg) comes to visit regularly, whenever things get too much at home. His brother Frank has other, er, releases- and you hope that when director Noah Baumbach says the film is semi-autobiographical, these are not the scenes he has in mind. An aquatic theme, a retro setting, a dysfunctional family; with the kids growing up too fast and the middle-aged parents squabbling like toddlers, you could see why Wes Anderson took executive producer credit.