Being Flynn
Focus Features | Release Date: March 2, 2012 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
53
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
13
Negative:
3
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
NPRBob MondelloMar 5, 2012
And then there's the simple fact of De Niro, playing a delusional taxi driver. It's easy to imagine Being Flynn's story turning precious in the wrong hands, but Weitz and his cast spin it just right - as a narrative that is both emotionally real, and just writerly enough to suit its leading men. Read full review
80
The Hollywood ReporterTodd McCarthyFeb 27, 2012
Robert De Niro and writer-director Paul Weitz find the most congenial material either of them has had in quite some time in Being Flynn. Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeFeb 27, 2012
The film surrounds its leads with a cast whose faces capture the ragtag dignity Flynn described in his book -- no overacting required, no emotional panhandling allowed. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie RickeyMar 24, 2012
It's an involving journey, remarkably free of sentimentality, deepened by the performances. Read full review
75
St. Louis Post-DispatchJoe WilliamsMar 16, 2012
He might be guilty of showboating, but De Niro's knockout performance is a declaration that the star of "Raging Bull" isn't ready to hang up his gloves. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertMar 7, 2012
What's admirable about Being Flynn is that it doesn't cave in to the standard Hollywood redemption formulas, with the father redeemed and the son inspired. It's more complicated than that. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerMar 2, 2012
Dano is still doing his ethereal, creepy underacting routine, but, compared with De Niro's scenery chewing, he seems almost dignified. The film, written and directed by Paul Weitz, has many touching moments and many more hokey ones. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubTasha RobinsonFeb 29, 2012
Weitz's sense of play and the Badly Drawn Boy soundtrack each give Being Flynn an enjoyable lightness; meanwhile, the curdled, hidden rage lurking within both Flynns gives it an equally enjoyable edge. Read full review
70
Arizona RepublicBill GoodykoontzMar 15, 2012
The story is gripping, compelling. One wonders what De Niro might have done with such a role 30, 35 years ago. De Niro -- whatever happened to him? Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick GroenMar 16, 2012
In this tale of two lives, Being Flynn gets the emphasis wrong. The success that has many fathers is altogether predictable; it's the despicable orphan of failure who has us in his thrall. Read full review
63
Rolling StonePeter TraversMar 2, 2012
Here, you can feel De Niro's full engagement in a character that echoes his roles in "Taxi Driver" and "Awakenings." It's a great wreck of a performance that feels bruisingly true. At its best, when it keeps sentimentality at bay, so does Being Flynn. Read full review
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