Spanking the Monkey (Jeremy Davies)

REVIEW
Don't let the title fool you. Russell's film is an insightful and offbeat look at love, sexuality and incest. Davies is convincing as a college freshman student, Ray, who must stay home on his summer vacation to take care of his bedridden mother instead of taking a prestigious internship. The relationship between the two becomes increasingly convoluted as the mother looks towards her son to fill the void left by a traveling husband, and Ray's sexual frustrations grow. Monkey boasts first-rate acting and a well-written script. And don't let the incest throw you -- this is handled in such a subtle way the film went on to win the Audience Popularity Award at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival.