Discovering your real self is the theme of Meet Bill, in which Bill has to work hard to finally meet himself
Meet Bill (2008)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:20
Fresh:4
Rotten:16
Average Rating:3.8/10
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for language, some drug use and sex-related material.
Runtime: 1 hr 35 mins
Theatrical Release:Apr 4, 2008 Limited
Synopsis: Meet Bill (Aaron Eckhart)—a doormat if there ever was one. A man reduced to a mere accessory to his family by working a dead end job at his father-in-law's bank, Bill's wife Jess (Elizabeth Banks)... Meet Bill (Aaron Eckhart)—a doormat if there ever was one. A man reduced to a mere accessory to his family by working a dead end job at his father-in-law's bank, Bill's wife Jess (Elizabeth Banks) is loathe to explain her "friendship" with the local news anchorman (Timothy Olyphant). But Bill's fate begins to change when he becomes mentor to a self-assured boy (Logan Lerman) who engineers Bill's recovery with the help of a cute lingerie sales girl named Lucy (Jessica Alba). Together, the trio confronts Bill's hapless life with humor and energy while forcing him to capture his dream of being financially independent and self-confident. Directed by Bernie Goldmann and co-writer Melisa Wallack. --© Zeitgeist Films [More]
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Jessica Alba, Elizabeth Banks, Timothy Olyphant
Starring: Aaron Eckhart, Jessica Alba, Elizabeth Banks, Timothy Olyphant, Logan Lerman, Craig Bierko, Kristen Wiig, Jason Sudeikis, Todd Louiso
Director: Melissa Wallack, Bernie Goldmann
Director: Melissa Wallack, Bernie Goldmann
Screenwriter: Melissa Wallack
Producer: John Penotti, Fisher Stevens, Matthew Rowland
Composer: Edward Shearmur
Studio: First Look
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Reviews for Meet Bill
It doesn't take long for Bill to suddenly veer off course into total impenetrability, where the characters become a blur, the hacky visual poetry is rolled out, and the plot drops dead.
The story of a man (Aaron Eckhart) grappling with middle-age ennui at work and at home feels done to death, as does the distracting addition of a spunky rich-kid high schooler.
It tries hard to mimic the arch tone of the best suburban tragicomedies (American Beauty, et al.), but a surfeit of stock characters, double-wide plot holes and heavy-handed symbolism ruins the effect.
As the movie goes on, you actually end up rooting for this schmuck to take charge of his life, and in a way, the movie is sort of inspiring.
For those whose idea of hilarity is an adult and a kid throwing fireworks at each other, then getting stoned and playing piggyback in the mall, this movie should be a refreshing tonic.
With a pair of first-time directors at the helm, one of whom bears responsibility for the script, Meet Bill is a clash of poorly conceived and executed scenes lacking sense, continuity and entertainment value.
Takes scattershot aim at all manner of appropriate targets—the vapid nature of local television news, the perceived stigma of standing out from the pack in America, the dilemma of dreams deferred and abandoned—but rarely hits the comic bull’s-eye.
Male midlife crisis presents as pathological self-loathing in Meet Bill, an imperative to which the only sane response is: No thanks.
Even a hilarious turn by Kristen Wiig as the owner of a doughnut company can't save this clichéd, meandering story from playing like American Beauty lite.
Meet Bill misfires on multiple levels, but its foremost mistake is focusing on a sad-sack underachiever. Bill doesn't believe in himself, so why should we?
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 90% 90% | District 9 |
| 86% 86% | 500 Days of Summer |
| 63% 63% | Extract |
| 06% 06% | All About Steve |
| 78% 78% | It Might Get Loud |
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