The Rewrite
Image Entertainment | Release Date: February 13, 2015 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
51
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews
Positive:
5
Mixed:
10
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
88
Chicago Sun-TimesRichard RoeperFeb 12, 2015
The Rewrite is hardly shattering new ground, but the familiar path is strewn with a steady stream of smile-inducing moments, two terrific performances from the leads and a first-rate supporting cast. Read full review
60
EmpireIan FreerJan 23, 2015
It would be easy to dismiss this as a plastic Hugh Grant rom-com but it has enough smarts, laughs and feel for its likeable characters to make it worth your while. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinFeb 12, 2015
It's far from perfect, but The Rewrite is the kind of witty, enjoyable star vehicle in sadly short supply on screens these days. Read full review
50
Movie NationRoger MooreFeb 10, 2015
It probably never had a prayer of being a wide release, with Lawrence and Grant’s co-mingled careers shrinking in ambition and appeal. But there’s charm here, and Grant is engagingly disengaged playing somebody who knows the fickle finger of Hollywood fate no longer points his way. Read full review
63
New York PostLou LumenickFeb 11, 2015
Lawrence’s script for The Rewrite could have used one, and his direction is uneven, but it’s still rewarding watching Grant dispensing his dithery charm surrounded by old pros. Read full review
50
ObserverRex ReedFeb 18, 2015
This dumb movie turns from dubious to preposterous. Read full review
63
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyFeb 13, 2015
By no means watch this if you’re looking for a nourishing cinematic experience. But if your idea of a cozy rom-com is an old Hugh Grant one, this has some cine-comfort-food-carbs for you. Read full review
42
The A.V. ClubJesse HassengerFeb 12, 2015
It’s poised to become one of the biggest rom-coms of 1998. But barring the invention of time travel, The Rewrite remains tethered to the realities of film releasing in 2015, which means it will get most of its play as a VOD simulation of earlier hits. Read full review
30
The DissolveKate ErblandFeb 11, 2015
Grant specializes in bastards, but he makes them so charming that viewers can nearly forget, and even forgive, their consistently bad manners. It’s a good skill, and it’s put to heavy use in Marc Lawrence’s otherwise charmless, vaguely offensive The Rewrite. Read full review
40
The GuardianPeter BradshawNov 15, 2014
Perhaps any screenwriting teacher could explain why romantic comedies such as this frontload it with all the jokes in the first act, and then get progressively sentimental and humourless. This one becomes gooier and squishier until the comedy has entirely gone. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterElizabeth KerrNov 15, 2014
While it’s neither a masterpiece of gender politics or contemporary romantic relations nor designed to elicit belly laughs, it is a pleasant diversion for fans of the form. Read full review
60
The New York TimesStephen HoldenFeb 12, 2015
That Mr. Grant can bring Keith back from the edge more or less persuasively is a testament to his ability to convey genuine humility without mawkishness, once he sees the light. Read full review
67
The PlaylistKevin JagernauthFeb 12, 2015
So you have The Rewrite, which feels like it had a rewrite at some point, perhaps muddying the waters of the film's larger intentions. But there's enough from both halves — the more original dramedic vehicle and the less imaginative, predictable, mainstream-aimed entertainment — to make for one wobbly, yet enjoyable movie, if you just put your guard down enough to let it in. Read full review
60
The TelegraphRobbie CollinNov 15, 2014
There’s no question The Rewrite is underpinned by the same story mechanisms it draws attention to... But there are moments here when sunlight breaks through the shtick. Read full review
40
Time Out LondonTom HuddlestonNov 15, 2014
Everyone here deserves better. Read full review
50
VarietyGuy LodgeNov 15, 2014
It’s a rare pleasure to see Tomei in a lead role, and she fills out the short cuts in Lawrence’s characterization with wry warmth and a hint of swallowed disappointment. Read full review
30
Village VoiceNick SchagerFeb 12, 2015
Amid much talk about character, story structure, and theme, Grant delivers his usual rakish-charmer routine in a role that’s as hackneyed as the script’s portrait of women, the movie industry, and Star Wars fanatics is one-note. Read full review
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