After his twin brother is accidentally killed by vengeful bullies, a disfigured 12-year old boy and his friends face the harsh realities of death, hormones, and family dysfunction.

Twelve and Holding (2005)
  • Rating: (4,291 votes)
  • Taglines:Do You Know Who Your Kids Are? » The end of innocence is just the beginning. »
  • Runtime:90 minutes
  • Director: Michael Cuesta
  • Country:USA
  • Actors:
    Jacob / Rudy Carges
    Conor Donovan
    Leonard Fisher
    Jesse Camacho
    Malee Chuang
    Zoe Weizenbaum
    Gus Maitland
    Jeremy Renner
    Carla Chuang
    Annabella Sciorra
    Ashley Carges
    Jayne Atkinson
    Jim Carges
    Linus Roache
    Grace Fisher
    Marcia DeBonis
    Patrick Fisher
    Tom McGowan
    Kenny (as Michael Fuchs)
    Michael C. Fuchs
  • Genre:Drama
  • Producers:
    Brian Bell
    producer  
    Michael Cuesta
    producer  
    Mike Downey
    executive producer  
    Frank Frattaroli
    executive producer  
    Michael Hoffman
    executive producer  
    Doug Mankoff
    executive producer  
    Michael Nozik
    executive producer  
    Amy Robinson
    executive producer  
    Jenny Schweitzer
    producer  
    Nick Goodwin Self
    co-producer  
    Andrew Spaulding
    executive producer  
    Leslie Urdang
    producer  
Twelve and Holding
  • User's comment:Profound and Perplexing by David H. Schleicher

    Michael Cuesta (who previously directed the slick and grotesquely controversial "L.I.E" and is currently one of the masterminds behind Showtime's wildly entertaining and grotesque "Dexter") treads some very dangerous ground with "Twelve and Holding." Working with a solid script focusing on how three best friends cope with the accidental death of another friend (the more popular twin brother of one of the protagonists), he presents pre-adolescent characters with the psychologically complex motives of adults and we witness their pratfalls, tragedies, and heart wrenching moments in a the same type of voyeuristic manner usually reserved for more mature characters and audiences. Elements of classics like "Stand by Me" keep the film grounded even as some of the plot developments get a bit far-fetched.

    The acting is a huge plus here, with Annabella Sciora (getting more and more enchanting and beautiful with age), Jayne Atkinson (brutal, honest, and gut-wrenching as the grieving mother of the dead child), and Connor Donovan (in duel leads as the dead boy and his conflicted twin brother) highlighting the excellent ensemble. Cuesta's surprisingly subtle direction somehow manages to avoid both the salacious tendencies of a Larry Clark film and the annoyingly overt quirkiness of similarly themed films like "Me and You and Everyone we Know" to deliver a profound and perplexing tale of coming-of-age, revenge and loneliness.


  • Quotes: Rudy: Our birthday comes once a year and you ask for a hockey mask. You don't even play. Jacob: Jason from Friday the 13th wears one. He's bad-ass. Leonard Fisher: Why were you saving piss?
  • Also known as: El fin de la inocencia (Argentina), El fin de la inocencia (Spain), 12 & Holding (Finland), 12 Anos e Pouca Ilusão (Brazil - cable TV title), 12 and Holding (USA - alternative spelling), 12 lat i koniec (Poland), Aos Doze e Tantos (Portugal - imdb display title), Das Ende der Unschuld (Germany), Kegyetlen kölykök (Hungary - alternative title), Krisimi ilikia (Greece - DVD title), Mazi sta dodeka (Greece - festival title), Tizenkettő (Hungary), Uppgörelsen - 12 and Holding (Sweden - imdb display title),

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