Gus Van Sant, working from the tangy, well-written script, gets so much humor, grit and emotional truth out of this tale that the familiar formulas behind it simply fall away.
80
VarietyEmanuel Levy
VarietyEmanuel Levy
This beautifully realized tale is always engaging and often quite touching.
75
Baltimore SunAnn Hornaday
Baltimore SunAnn Hornaday
Fairly bursts with the exuberance and youthful energy that must have attended its creation.
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
An ordinary story told well. Taken as a whole, there's little that's special about this tale -- it follows a traditional narrative path, leaves the audience with a warm, fuzzy feeling, and never really challenges or surprises us.
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
It's the individual moments, not the payoff, that make it so effective.
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
You'd never guess this just-off-center movie was directed by indie hero Gus Van Sant. Maybe, like Will, he's casual about his gifts and feels no need to trot them out.
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Part character study, part redemptive drama, and all cheesy heart, it's Boston-baked melodrama, a little too gooey at times, but still pretty delicious.
50
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
Matt Damon and Robin Williams give touching performances, but Gus Van Sant's filmmaking is surprisingly ordinary.