The Banger Sisters
Fox Searchlight Pictures | Release Date: September 20, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
48
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 33 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
15
Negative:
7
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
80
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
Sarandon's motherly sexiness is appealing, but it's Hawn, in a warm and deep performance as the hapless but free-spirited Suzette, who walks away with the movie. Read full review
80
SalonStephanie Zacharek
A highly entertaining and refreshingly nonjudgmental movie Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMark Caro
A lot of fun, with an undeniable energy sparked by two actresses in their 50s working at the peak of their powers. Juicy roles for older women? Let the revolution begin. Read full review
75
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Pretty thin, but you grin while you're watching it. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerCarrie Rickey
Some numbers: Hawn and Sarandon (both 56) are arguably the first women in American popular culture to be pushing 60 and sexy. Hard to believe, but when Joan Crawford and Bette Davis were comparable ages (59 and 54), they were the frightening gargoyles of "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?" Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
What The Banger Sisters offers in place of an eloquent statement is the charm of two actresses at the top of their game in flashy roles and a smart script that's decidedly more coarse than sentimental. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJami Bernard
Forget the awful trailer that makes the movie look like chalk screeching on a blackboard. The Banger Sisters is sheer fun, and a great showcase for Hawn. Read full review
70
VarietyLisa Nesselson
Adult fans of good thesping in the service of a lightweight but thoroughly entertaining story should bask in the antics. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Hawn mows down everything in her path with a giggle. It's great fun to watch her just eat up this movie. Read full review
63
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
Hawn always appears to be acting with a vengeance, but Sarandon just breathes her part. Read full review
63
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
Likable, cheerfully off-color comedy. Read full review
60
SlateDavid Edelstein
A too-pat but very funny comedy. Read full review
60
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
The sexual frankness is refreshing. As Suzette and Lavinia banter, their dialogue often suggests how "Sex and the City" might sound 20 years hence. Read full review
60
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Watching Sarandon and Hawn sashay through their paces is its own reward. Read full review
60
New Times (L.A.)Robert Wilonsky
It has its moments, but they never add up to a record you'd want to play again and again in its entirety.
60
TimeRichard Schickel
Dolman's comedy isn't exactly a barrel of emotional surprises, but its great cast underachieves admirably. There are worse ways to pass 94 minutes. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
The conflict between Hawn, who prizes her freedom, and Sarandon, who values her family, is pretty rich; it reminded me of the friendship between Shirley MacLaine and Anne Bancroft in "The Turning Point." Read full review
60
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Gets off to a bumpy start and runs into trouble along the way, but once it gets going, it's surprisingly warm and engaging. Read full review
50
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
Could have taken a witty scalpel to baby-boomer posturings. But Dolman, whose instrument of choice is the rubber mallet of smarm, just isn't the man for the job -- he ends up enshrining the very hypocrisy that should be dissected. Read full review
50
Baltimore SunChris Kaltenbach
The Banger Sisters stands as proof that no movie is so bad it can't be redeemed by a single stellar performance. That performance is by Susan Sarandon.
50
USA TodayClaudia Puig
Because Sarandon is such a good actress, she makes the movie watchable, and there are a couple of laughs to be had. Read full review
50
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
Terrific performers doing what they're often forced to do, overcoming sorely flawed material.
50
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
A practiced piece of Hollywood hokum, way too calculated and contrived, especially for a film that nominally celebrates the chaos and creativity of the 1960s. Read full review
42
Portland OregonianKim Morgan
A flimsy film that's too clean and corn pone to be anything near rock 'n' roll.
40
The New York TimesStephen Holden
Certainly begins with its heart in the right place. But the movie eventually snaps under the strain of its plot contrivances and its need to reassure. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleKimberley Jones
The resultant film is all surface and plush, with nary a hard edge or demanding note. Despite the movie's well-intentioned heart, its head is out to lunch, neglecting its responsibility to provide these powerhouse actresses with a script half as smart or compelling as they. Read full review
38
New York PostJonathan Foreman
For the most part, it's both sitcomishly predictable and cloying in its attempts to be poignant. Read full review
33
Entertainment WeeklyKen Tucker
Really, the sole favor Dolman does the plucky Hawn is to light her rear end so that its continued gloriousness can be appreciated. Read full review
30
New York Magazine (Vulture)Peter Rainer
The best way to kill the spirit of the sixties is to sanitize it with preachiness, which is what happens here. That rock-cock collection might as well be a box of baseball cards. Read full review
25
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
The Banger Sisters so frequently features Hawn running around in revealing attire, tossing instructions at exhausted people that I'm inclined to think of it as a workout video. Read full review
20
Village VoiceMichael Atkinson
For a few brief moments, it's the bravest work this Hollywood gargoyle (Hawn) has ever done. Read full review
20
The New YorkerDavid Denby
Painful to sit through, because you want to see someone like Paul Thomas Anderson take hold of the character and the actress and start again from the beginning. Bob Dolman understands Suzette, but the rest of the movie is composed of ham-handedly obvious scenes. [23 Sept 2002, p. 98]
10
Washington PostMichael O'Sullivan
From opening to closing credits, there isn't a single genuine moment -- as phony as a dime bag of oregano. Read full review
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