12 and Holding
After a twin's accidental killing, three New Jersey children struggle through grief, anger, desire, and the fractures within their families.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Moderate
- haunting
- melancholic
- empathetic
- quiet evening
- serious movie night
What critics said
Critics generally found the film honest, haunting, empathetic, and powered by realistic performances, while some objected to its contrived screenplay and heavy-handed social framing.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The death of Jacob reshapes the emotional lives of his twin Rudy and their friends while the film emphasizes difficult, believable responses to loss.
The plot explicitly places teenage hormones alongside death and family dysfunction, making puberty part of the characters' emotional upheaval.
Malee, Leonard, and Jacob/Rudy's connected storylines present multiple preteen responses to trauma, anger, desire, and maturation.
The New Jersey community contains bullying, accidental killing, family dysfunction, and hidden distress despite its familiar suburban environment.
Films like 12 and Holding, and why
The Florida Project
shared realistic coming of age drama, adolescent grief, and emotionally difficult family dynamics
The Ice Storm
shared intimate suburban realism, troubled adolescence, and empathy for socially marginalized characters
Mean Creek
shared ensemble coming of age structure, childhood trauma, and melancholic suburban atmosphere
The Cure
shared preteen perspective, loss, friendship, and bittersweet emotional growth
Movie Details
- Director
- Michael Cuesta
- Release Date
- 2006-03-31
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (99)
Cast
- Zoe Weizenbaum
- Conor Donovan
- Jesse Camacho
- Jeremy Renner
- Annabella Sciorra
- Jayne Atkinson
- Linus Roache
- Marcia DeBonis
- Tom McGowan
- Michael C. Fuchs
Common questions
- What is 12 and Holding about?
- After a twin's accidental killing, three New Jersey children struggle through grief, anger, desire, and the fractures within their families.
- What is 12 and Holding like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of 12 and Holding as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is 12 and Holding violent?
- Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in 12 and Holding as moderate.
- What did critics think of 12 and Holding?
- Critics generally found the film honest, haunting, empathetic, and powered by realistic performances, while some objected to its contrived screenplay and heavy-handed social framing.
- Which films are like 12 and Holding?
- Films with a similar feel include The Florida Project, The Ice Storm, Mean Creek, and The Cure.
- How long is 12 and Holding?
- 12 and Holding runs 90 minutes.
