Critic Reviews
53
Metascore
Mixed or Average
positive
12(38%)
mixed
17(53%)
negative
3(9%)
Showing 32 Critic Reviews
100
Superbly acted.
80
A sharply observed tragicomedy that draws laughter as genuinely as it coaxes tears, the nicely paced film tempers its themes of loss and sorrow with a cynically witty edge and is graced by a perfectly pitched Sigourney Weaver performance.
75
The characters deserve a better movie, but they get a pretty good one.
75
Reveals essential truthfulness about families.
70
Harris leavens the familiar suburban angst with dark humor, rich characterizations and a terrific cast.
70
Everyone is touched by sadness or hobbled by self-deception, and everyone is interesting, even moving, to watch until the drama slowly suffocates beneath the weight of its revelations.
70
The result is almost like a film we have seen before but don't mind seeing again. The dialogue is generally fresh, the relationships ring true.
67
Weaver and Hirsch's flawless performances elevate the film above and beyond the ranks of "Ordinary People" pastiches, and in the end it stands on its own merits.
63
In this story of suburban teenage angst, the parents are weird and often cliché to the point of incomprehension, as if seen through the prism of ... a 25-year-old.
63
Good in many ways, full of talent and intelligence, and marks the debut of a promising young American writer-director, Dan Harris.
