Garden Party
Roadside Attractions | Release Date: July 11, 2008 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
31
METASCORE
Generally unfavorable reviews based on 10 Critic Reviews
Positive:
1
Mixed:
4
Negative:
5
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
75
Portland OregonianMarc Mohan
More a collection of character vignettes than a full-blown story, Garden Party nonetheless shows as much promise for its makers as it gives to its characters. Read full review
50
VarietyPeter Debruge
Isn't racy enough to warrant the word of mouth necessary to make pic a sensation with its generation, the way the unrelated disaffected-twentysomething hit "Garden State" was. Read full review
50
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Whatever else it may accomplish, Garden Party, which is clumsily structured but well acted, with pungently realistic dialogue, puts you in a world without a center in which you can't tell upside down from right-side up. Read full review
50
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Although competently acted and directed, lacks a fresh point of view and its people lack individuality. Read full review
42
Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean Axmaker
Whether or not Garden Party is an accurate portrait of the shadow L.A. culture where the young, pretty and desperate can find quick rent money, this low-budget production never engages with its characters or stories enough to make you care either way. Read full review
38
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
It's familiar stuff if you've sampled the vast body of work devoted to LA-dammerung. Read full review
33
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Taken together, these stories are a symphony of inconsequentiality, drained of tension and purpose until all that remains is a vague sense of collective ennui. Read full review
25
PremiereJenni Miller
The leaden performances (Erik Scott Smith is the worst offender), the unlistenable musical interludes, the amateurish caricatures, and the short stories' lack of overall cohesion make this a garden party you should take a rain check on. Read full review
20
Village VoiceAaron Hillis
Trivial, commercially calculated ensemble drama (porn! pot! rock music!), which plays like a non-musical "Rent," or a faux-edgy "Shortbus" for kids raised on "American Pie." Read full review
12
New York PostKyle Smith
A slow ride to nowhere. Read full review
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