12 and Holding

2005 film by Michael Cuesta February 2026 January 2025 12 and Holding Twelve and Holding poster.jpg Theatrical release poster Michael Cuesta Brian BellMichael CuestaJenny SchweitzerLeslie UrdangAmy Robinson Anthony Cipriano Conor DonovanJesse CamachoZoe WeizenbaumJeremy Renner Pierre Földes Romeo Tirone Eric CarlsonKane Platt IFC Films 2005 09 Toronto https://www.indiewire.com/2006/01/ifc-films-announces-deal-for-cuestas-twelve-and-holding-77470/ Eugene Hernandez 3 January 2006 IFC Films Announces Deal for Cuesta's "Twelve and Holding" IndieWire 6 July 2020 2006 05 19 95 minutes United States English $119,195https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl309757441/weekend/ 12 and Holding Box Office Mojo 6 July 2020 12 and Holding is a 2005 American coming-of-age drama film directed by Michael Cuesta and starring Conor Donovan, Jesse Camacho, Zoe Weizenbaum, and Jeremy Renner. The film is distributed by IFC Films and was released on May 19, 2006 in limited theaters.Holden Stephen 19 May 2006 Michael Cuesta's '12 and Holding' Is a Story of Troubled Youth The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/19/movies/19twel.html 6 July 2020 Plot 12-year-olds Rudy Carges and his overweight friend Leonard Fisher spend the night inside their treehouse after teenage bullies Jeff and Kenny threaten to destroy it. Jeff and Kenny arrive and set the treehouse on fire, not knowing Rudy and Leonard were in there until too late. Leonard escapes unharmed but then falls to the ground unconscious, while Rudy gets trapped and is burned to death offscreen. Rudy's twin brother Jacob, an insecure boy with a huge birthmark, feels immense guilt for not being there to protect Rudy. At the hospital, Leonard recovers and finds out he lost his sense of taste and smell. Leonard is then prompted by his gym teacher to go on a diet, which isn't welcomed by his obese family. The boys' female friend Malee tries to befriend an adult named Gus, a grief-stricken patient of her therapist mother Carla. Jacob's family falls apart after the death of his brother, but soon after they adopt a boy named Keith Gardner. Meanwhile, Malee begins to have a crush on Gus and changes the song for her recital to one Gus likes. As time goes by, she sees Gus as her "soul mate". She sneaks into his house one night to find him grieving. Afraid to confront him, Malee steals his gun and leaves. She gives the gun to Jacob the following day. Jacob's mother gets furious when she finds out Jeff and Kenny are being put in juvenile hall for only one year, while Jacob's father views Rudy's death as an accident. Jacob spends the next few months visiting Jeff and Kenny, and threatens them, until eventually Jeff commits suicide. Jacob sees Kenny grieving, so Jacob forgives and befriends Kenny; soon learning Kenny has an early release and is illegally moving to New Mexico. Meanwhile, Leonard's father decides to take Leonard's sisters to Florida for an annual trip instead of Leonard (who would usually go). Leonard decides to force his mother to lose weight by trapping her in the cellar. They both end up in the hospital after a gas leak in their home. Next, Jacob and Kenny agree that Jacob can go with him to New Mexico. Malee visits Gus and removes her clothes in an attempt to seduce him. Instead, Gus calls Malee's mother to come and pick her up. The next day, Gus explains to therapist Carla about the last fire he ever fought (which involved killing an injured little girl, upon the girl's request), claiming that Malee wanted him to take her pain away, as he was aware of her growing crush on him. Meanwhile, Jacob's mother tells him that Keith Gardner wasn't adopted to replace Rudy, and that she wants Kenny dead, which reminds Jacob of his planned revenge. The night of escape for Jacob finally comes and he meets up with Kenny. Jacob insists on going through a construction site which he says is a secret route. Once there, Jacob points Gus's gun at Kenny and tells him "you killed him", then shoots him dead. After burying the body, Jacob leaves. He returns in the daytime, and sees Gus spreading cement above Kenny's grave, knowing the evidence is gone. Malee begins visiting her estranged father, and Leonard's family finally starts eating healthily. Jacob returns home without telling anyone what he did. Cast Connor Donovan as Jacob Carges/Rudy Carges Jesse Camacho as Leonard Fisher Zoe Weizenbaum as Malee Chuang Jeremy Renner as Gus Maitland Annabella Sciorra as Carla Chuang Linus Roache as Jim Carges Adam LeFevre as Gabe Artunion Jayne Atkinson as Ashley Carges Marcia DeBonis as Grace Fisher Tom McGowan as Patrick Fisher Michael C. Fuchs as Kenny Martin Campetta as Jeff Reception 12 and Holding received generally positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film has a 73% approval rating, based on 78 reviews, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The website's consensus reads, "This shocking pre-teen drama manages, through realistic performances and a sense of empathy, to avoid exploitation and instead deliver something honest and haunting."https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/twelve_and_holding Twelve and Holding (2005) Rotten Tomatoes June 2, 2021 Writing for About.com, critic Marcy Dermansky said, "Writers are often encouraged to provide moments of [epiphany] and revelation for their characters; 12 and Holding provides three transformations, and each is not only convincing, but also moving".Dermansky Marcy 12 and Holding http://worldfilm.about.com/od/independentfilm/fr/twelveholding.htm dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150906122616/http://worldfilm.about.com/od/independentfilm/fr/twelveholding.htm 6 September 2015 24 March 2022 About.com In a review for Slant Magazine, Keith Uhlich criticized "Anthony S. Cipriano’s contrivance-heavy screenplay and Michael Cuesta’s Six Feet Under-tutelaged direction", saying the film "comes off as something of a neo-con paranoid fantasy, its wayward trio of suburban youth standing in for the ills of America".Uhlich Keith 20 March 2006 Review: Twelve and Holding https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/twelve-and-holding/ 24 March 2022 Slant Magazine References External links 0417385 Twelve and Holding twelve_and_holding twelveandholding Twelve and Holding Category:2005 films Category:2005 coming-of-age drama films Category:2005 English-language films Category:American coming-of-age drama films Category:Films shot in New Jersey Category:Films directed by Michael Cuesta Category:Films about puberty Category:Films about dysfunctional families Category:Films about bullying Category:2005 American films Category:American independent films Category:2005 independent films Category:English-language independent films