Based on the true childhood experiences of director Noah Baumbach, The Squid and the Whale tells the heartfelt story of a family splintered by divorce. Bernard, an academic and author, and his restless wife Joan, an up and coming writer, have given up on their marriage. Their two sons Walt, 16 and Frank, 12, are left to grapple with their confusing and conflicted feelings. - A couple gives up on their marriage and it hurts the family.