American Violet
Samuel Goldwyn Company, The | Release Date: April 17, 2009 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
56
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
9
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
An artlessly powerful performance by newcomer Nicole Behaire anchors American Violet. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
American Violet, it's true, is not blazingly original cinema. Tim Disney's direction and the screenplay by Bill Haney are meat and potatoes, making this story clear, direct and righteous. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
A torn-from-the-headlines tale of institutional racism and injustice in the Lone Star State of not-so-long-ago, American Violet might not be subtle, but it's certainly powerful. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleJonathan Curiel
An ideal movie for an ideal time in America. Read full review
70
VarietyTodd McCarthy
Dee is an engaging, admirable lead character, and the striking, petite Beharie, in only her second screen role, is a real winner, bringing energy and fortitude to a woman who easily could have joined the ranks of society's victims and losers. Read full review
70
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
What sticks in my craw -- just a bit -- is the way the film doesn't fully trust the true story's inherent power. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Packed with dialogue and issues, and it’s most provocative when dealing with the dangers of plea bargaining. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
Worth a look. Read full review
60
Los Angeles TimesBetsy Sharkey
The narrative is infused with chilling facts, and the filmmakers know how to build their case, but a drama demands more. We should have been immersed in Dee's wrenching journey, not just sitting it out on the sidelines. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
A message movie that's genuinely worth watching. Read full review
58
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
It’s hard not to get swept up by the film's progressive zeal, but Disney doesn’t allow for much grey area. Read full review
50
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
If you're in the mood for a liberal message movie in which the only surprise is no surprise, American Violet is the ticket. Read full review
50
Village VoiceMelissa Anderson
A docudrama with a good heart but a heavy hand. Read full review
50
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Earnest, mostly predictable and candidly didactic. That said, I'm glad it got made -- what's wrong with films that teach? -- and especially glad that a remarkably gifted newcomer named Nicole Beharie got to play the central role. Read full review
50
The New York TimesStephen Holden
The movie's staunchly liberal point of view extends to the 2000 presidential election, which is shown unfolding in the background. Al Gore's concession speech is used to suggest that the systemic racism in Melody is a symptom of a broader climate of injustice. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
American Violet feels less like life and unreasonably more like the movies. Read full review
40
The Hollywood ReporterSura Wood
Wears its righteous indignation and good intentions on its sleeve but its simplistic, heavy handed treatment of a complex issue gives it the weight of a contrived movie of the week melodrama. Read full review
25
New York PostKyle Smith
Plodding drama. Read full review
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