Big Eden
Jour de Fête Films | Release Date: June 1, 2001 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
59
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
6
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
New Times (L.A.)David Ehrenstein
Has all the crowd-pleasing elements moviegoers respond to: appealing hero, absorbing story, a solid group of supporting players and a big fat happy ending. Read full review
80
Washington PostRita Kempley
The key to success: The audience must really like both characters and believe that they deserve a fairy-tale ending. That's definitely the case in this nicely acted love story. Read full review
80
Mr. ShowbizKevin Maynard
Dares to substitute wit and warmth for the standard gay indie tropes in tackling its tale of an unconventional couple.
75
New York PostJonathan Foreman
But it's more than a crowd-pleaser shot at spectacular Rocky mountain locations -- it's almost revolutionary. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeScott Heller
It's a refreshing alternative to hipper-than-thou moviemaking.
75
San Francisco ChronicleCarla Meyer
It's unlikely that the whole cowboy town would really applaud all the queer goings-on, but it's a lovely sentiment in a lovely movie. Read full review
70
L.A. WeeklyPaul Malcolm
A rosy, hearthside fantasy of acceptance that's so assured in its writing and direction, it's nearly impossible not to believe. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderLisa Alspector
Funny, moving, and insightful look at questions about identity and community. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
An accomplished heart-tugger, a serious romantic comedy that tackles two dilemmas with honesty and compassion. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
Writer and first-time director Thomas Bezucha certainly knows how to create warmth, ambience and situation. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
Entertaining, well-acted and hopeful about a world in which sexual orientation isn't a big deal, Big Eden is a pretty picture -- it just tends to be a little too perfect and cute for its own good. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Director Bezucha's eyes are as starry as Montana's sky, but it's pretty hard to resist such a determinedly utopian vision of love. Read full review
60
Film.comRobert Horton
Little of this is plausible, but it is beguiling. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
By creating a kind of politically correct version of Andy Griffith's "Mayberry," director Bezucha has drained the movie not only of bigotry but also of dramatic conflict.
50
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Too cute by half (or maybe three-quarters). Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleMarrit Ingman
Yet as wonderful as it is to see a breezy, earnest romantic comedy that is so matter-of-factly gay-themed, Big Eden suffers somewhat, unsurprisingly, from some of the usual perils of a breezy, earnest romantic comedy. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Until the plot becomes intolerably cornball, there's charm in the story. Read full review
50
The New York TimesDave Kehr
The movie is as flat and plain as a television program, and most of the supporting characters (including Louise Fletcher as a kindly schoolmarm) seem equally two-dimensional, as if they had wandered in from the set of "The Andy Griffith Show." Read full review
30
Village VoiceMark Holcomb
Stupefyingly benign. Read full review
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