Lymelife
Screen Media Films | Release Date: April 8, 2009 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
64
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
5
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
New York PostKyle Smith
Lymelife, set amid marital decay and teen frustration, isn't quite the "American Beauty" of the 516 area code, but it'll do. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Lymelife doesn't have the sheer power of "The Ice Storm," but it's not just another recycling of suburban angst. By allowing their characters complexity, the Martinis spill open those tiny model homes as thoroughly as a dropped Monopoly game. Read full review
80
VarietyRob Nelson
Intense perfs by Rory Culkin and Alec Baldwin are standouts in a movie that brims with vivid supporting turns. Read full review
75
Rolling StonePeter Travers
Even when the drama gets overcooked, Lymelife sends off sparks. Read full review
75
USA TodayClaudia Puig
It's a family drama that treads on well-worn middle-class territory but is redeemed by the complexity of the characters and the intriguing ambiguity of their actions. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleReyhan Harmanci
A charming if unoriginal coming-of-age story. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterMichael Rechtshaffen
A period suburban rites-of-passage story with a pitch-perfect cast. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla Dargis
Despite such floundering, Lymelife keeps you hooked, mostly through Mr. Hutton, Mr. Baldwin and Kieran Culkin as Scott's older brother, Jimmy. Read full review
70
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
Lymelife offers charm and humor through its young central characters and pathos through its remarkable supporting cast, without pulling punches on its overall atmosphere of autumnal darkness and anomie. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesMichael Ordona
Scott's coming-of-age bumblings form the piece's narrative rhythm. But the most affecting moments come from Mickey's midlife machinations: Baldwin, who also produced the film, has his best role since "The Cooler." Read full review
70
Washington PostDan Zak
Directed by first-timer Derick Martini and produced by Martin Scorsese, balances grimness and levity with relative success. It stops short of quirk. It only flirts with "American Beauty"-style hyperbole. It falls somewhere in between, thanks to Martini's steady hand and a bunch of reliable actors working in good form. Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderAndrea Gronvall
Thanks to a strong ensemble cast, it's poignant and funny. Read full review
67
Portland OregonianM. E. Russell
Lymelife is more shaggy character study than rewarding narrative; its fateful final moments are self-consciously ambiguous in a way that (to me) feel almost flip, given the long dramatic build that preceded those final moments. Read full review
60
Village VoiceScott Foundas
Given how steeped it is in symbolic portent, Lymelife proves surprisingly watchable from moment to moment, thanks to the uniformly fine playing (particularly of the Culkin frères), evocative production design (by Kelly McGehee), and handsome widescreen photography (by Frank Godwin). Read full review
60
Film ThreatStina Chyn
Funny and well-acted, but it’s just shy of being compelling enough to be remembered. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Overworked if heartfelt indie. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam Lacey
There's a whole lot of "American Beauty" and "The Ice Storm" packed into Lymelife. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarjorie Baumgarten
Lymelife arrives with an impressive pedigree but, unfortunately, little originality. Read full review
38
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Like so many of these farm-raised films, this one looks polished, but takes no risks, offers no surprises, and contains a final sequence that's laughable for its lack of courage. Read full review
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