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Man in the Chair

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Man in the Chair (2007)

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Reviews Counted: 32

Fresh: 16

Rotten:16

Average Rating: 5.3/10

Consensus: A committed performance from Christopher Plummer can't save Man in the Chair's troubled and cliched script.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for language and thematic elements

Runtime: 1 hr 47 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release: Dec 7, 2007 Limited

Synopsis: MAN IN THE CHAIR stars Christopher Plummer (A BEAUTIFUL MIND, THE SOUND OF MUSIC) as weathered curmudgeon Flash Madden. The former film gaffer is embittered about Hollywood's current regime that perpetuates a throwaway society by... MAN IN THE CHAIR stars Christopher Plummer (A BEAUTIFUL MIND, THE SOUND OF MUSIC) as weathered curmudgeon Flash Madden. The former film gaffer is embittered about Hollywood's current regime that perpetuates a throwaway society by neglecting and forgetting the crews and creators that helped crank out some of the most significant films in cinematic history. He catches the attention of high school delinquent Cameron (Michael Angarano, WILL & GRACE), who tries to convince Flash to mentor him in a filmmaking competition--the only thing that motivates Cameron to stay out of trouble. Impressed by Cameron's persistence, Flash obliges and recruits his fellow crew member friends who live with him at the Motion Picture retirement home to help out as well, celebrating their production specialties that have been dormant for decades. While filming, the crew hits their share of ups and downs, but they become invigorated by their work. Cameron and Flash develop an intense bond and understanding for each other's position in life, as they see the value of both youth and wisdom. The recipient of several film festival awards, MAN IN THE CHAIR is a unique feel-good film, intent on inspiring without glossing over the sadness and struggles of the characters. Although Plummer and Angarano are the clear leads, heart-wrenching supporting performances by character actors M. Emmet Walsh (CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS, MY BEST FRIEND'S WEDDING) as down-and-out screenwriter Mickey, and Margaret Blye (LAST GOODBYE) as a frisky aging starlet add just the right amount of seriousness and insight the film needs to get its poignant message across. [More]

Starring: Christopher Plummer, Michael Angarano, M. Emmet Walsh, Robert Wagner

Starring: Christopher Plummer, Michael Angarano, M. Emmet Walsh, Robert Wagner, Tracey Walter, Joshua Boyd, Mimi Kennedy, Mitch Pileggi, Taber Schroeder

Director: Michael Schroeder

Director: Michael Schroeder
Screenwriter: Michael Schroeder
Producer: Michael Schroeder, Randy Turrow, Sarah Schroeder
Composer: Laura Karpman
Studio: Outsider Pictures

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Reviews for Man in the Chair

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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Ratings Image

It's hard to imagine anyone other than Christopher Plummer taking on the role of Flash Madden.

Full Review Source: JWR | comment Comment
08/07/08
S. James Wegg
JWR
Ratings Image

By the end it's lost any edge and is as soft and unappealing as a geriatric incontinence pad.

Full Review Source: Sky Movies | comment Comment
01/24/08
Tim Evans
Sky Movies
Ratings Image

Ambitious, heartfelt but, Plummer's excellent performance aside, dramatically lightweight and unconvincing.

Full Review Source: Channel 4 Film | comment Comment
01/24/08
Leigh Singer
Channel 4 Film
Ratings Image

A fair-to-middling contemporary fantasy drama that, despite its surfeit of flashy effects, is mildly charming in the way it addresses the injustice of old folk having to live out their final years in decrepit homes.

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/24/08
Derek Adams
Time Out
Ratings Image

Watchable drama with a strong performance from Christopher Plummer, though the script often feels simplistic and can't quite manage the emotional punch the story deserves.

Full Review Source: ViewLondon | comment Comment
01/24/08
Matthew Turner
ViewLondon
Ratings Image

A movie about movies and the people who love them.

Full Review Source: Laramie Movie Scope | comment Comment
01/23/08
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope
Ratings Image

This attempt to make a film is about a guy who is attempting to make a film.

Full Review Source: Cinema Signals | comment Comment
01/22/08
Jules Brenner
Cinema Signals
Ratings Image

Too slight and formulaic to amount to much.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
01/22/08
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion
Ratings Image

Man In The Chair feels a bit like a high school movie project, which is appropriate since that's exactly what it's about.

Full Review Source: BBC | comment Comment
01/01/08
Paul Arendt
BBC
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By salvaging a troubled script with deep, committed, touching portrayals, Plummer and Walsh help prove Schroeder's points about how Hollywood isn't just the province of the rich, young and pretty.

Full Review Source: Chicago Tribune | comment Comment
12/21/07
Tasha Robinson
Chicago Tribune
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The movie works so hard at juggling its clichés that it fails to generate interest in its story.

Full Review Source: Chicago Sun-Times | comment Comment
12/21/07
Roger Ebert
Chicago Sun-Times
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Ratings Image

Though they can't transcend writer-director Michael Schroeder's pointed contrivances, the actors tap into something achingly true in this valentine to Hollywood's below-the-line crafts people and society's castoffs.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
12/14/07
Los Angeles Times
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Ratings Image

[An] elegant documentary.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
12/14/07
Los Angeles Times
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Ratings Image

Overdirected and underwritten, this litany of Hallmark Channel tropes and button-pushing sentiment uses Tinseltown treacle to gussy up an otherwise forgettable message movie about humane treatment for the elderly.

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
12/13/07
Stephen Garrett
Time Out New York
Ratings Image

A film that probably never wouldn't have seen the light of a projector if it wasn't for some kind of "Let's get Actor X that long-deserved Oscar" grab.

Full Review Source: FilmJerk.com | comment Comment
12/12/07
Edward Havens
FilmJerk.com
Ratings Image

If you have to see this film for one reason, see it for Plummer...

Full Review Source: Cinema Crazed | comment Comment
12/11/07
Felix Vasquez Jr.
Cinema Crazed
Ratings Image

Schroeder's heart is in the right place, but his cinematic taste is unfortunately elsewhere.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
12/10/07
David Noh
Film Journal International
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A ramshackle but likeable story

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
12/10/07
Ray Bennett
Hollywood Reporter
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Ratings Image

With its flashy, music-video style edits, rock-scored montages and septuagenarian cast, it’s hard to say who, exactly, is the right audience for this unusual comedic drama from director Michael Schroeder.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
12/07/07
Ken Fox
TV Guide's Movie Guide
Ratings Image

Once its machinery is humming, it settles into a soothing fable of a last hurrah.

comment Comment
12/07/07
Stephen Holden
New York Times
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