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Spanking the Monkey
DVD cover
Directed by	David O. Russell
Produced by	Dean Silvers
Written by	David O. Russell
Starring	Jeremy Davies Alberta Watson Benjamin Hendrickson Carla Gallo Judette Jones
Editing by	Robert Duffy Spot Welders
Distributed by	Fine Line Features
Release date(s)	July 15, 1994
Running time	100 min.
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$80,000

Spanking the Monkey is a 1994 US independent black comedy written and directed by David O. Russell. The title of the movie is a slang phrase for masturbation and is used in the film by one of the teenage characters. It was filmed in Pawling, New York.

Spanking the Monkey won the Audience Award at the 1994 Sundance Film Festival and the Independent Spirit Award for Best First Screenplay.

It was produced by Dean Silvers of Teatown Communications Group.

Plot

Susan Aibelli (Alberta Watson), a married, lonely woman, suffers a leg injury at home just as her husband is about to leave on his job as a travelling salesman and her son, Raymond (Jeremy Davies), is about to leave for the summer on a medical internship. Her son is forced to stay at home to take care of her as his father is gone. He loses both the internship and his girlfriend. These troublesome events leave him emotionally confused as he and his mother are left alone together, and they develop an incestuous relationship.

Music

The song "In Spite of Me", from Morphine's album Cure for Pain, plays over the end credits.

External links

• Spanking the Monkey at the Internet Movie Database
• Spanking the Monkey at Allmovie
• Spanking the Monkey at Rotten Tomatoes
• Teatown Communications Group