The movie, a self-consciously simple exercise in familiarity, sometimes lapses into complacency.
Comment
01/01/00
Circle of Friends (1995)
76
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:34
Fresh:26
Rotten:8
Average Rating:6.5/10
Runtime: 1 hr 52 mins
Genre: Dramas
Synopsis: Three college friends in Dublin come of age when they discover romances that will change their lives forever. The tale centers on Benny, a bland and somewhat chunky innocent girl who falls... [More]
Starring: Chris O'Donnell, Minnie Driver, Colin Firth, Geraldine O'Rawe
Director: Pat O'Connor
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Reviews for Circle of Friends
A lot of films, especially love stories, seek a level of comfort through predictability, but this one goes too far.
01/01/00
Top CriticThree female friends grow up in a small town in Ireland in the mid-50s and attend college in Dublin in this nostalgic soap opera that's vaguely evocative of Peyton Place, though generally less memorable.
03/11/08
Top CriticNo review available.
05/22/04
The big question, will they get together, is resolved too soon in this film, leaving the final half meandering through the Irish countryside.
01/01/00
Young Benny has a nice smile, and she and Jack seem like pleasant people, but in the end (and in the beginning and in the middle) it's hard to get worked up about them.
01/01/00
Top CriticThe writer (Andrew Davies) took no risks, and the result is a completely predictable plot.
01/01/00
The fizzing dialogue gets all the little details right, but the plot's nothing new, and the lingering shots of hibernian greenery aim straight for mid-Atlantic bland-out.
02/09/06
A familiar tale of busty lasses and lusty lads, it's lent extra weight by fine writing and accomplished performances.
03/11/08
Driver, who delivers a piercingly subjective performance, is the linchpin of the film's quiet appeal.
03/11/08
A heartfelt love letter to circles of friends everywhere.
01/01/00
Everyone likes a story about the 'ugly duckling' snaring the handsome prince. We all identify with impossible hopes, and this movie satisfies fairy tale longings.
01/01/00
No review available.
09/05/03
An enchanting, if denture-rottingly sweet, yarn.
03/11/08
There is much to enjoy here, not least of which is Driver's wonderful performance.
01/01/00
Excellent acting by all the players and the film's unique change of setting make Circle of Friends a worthwhile picture, but it suffers from a painfully slow pace and no real originality in its message.
01/01/00
Driver is impulsively sweet, touching and hilarious as she copes with her new, romantic life.
01/01/00
Top CriticOld-fashioned and nostalgic, Pat O'Connor's nicely directed tale of friendship between three Irish girls features a strong central performance from Minnie Driver that promises a bright future in Hollywood pictures.
04/27/07
Top CriticNo review available.
06/12/05
Top CriticWry, wise, and wonderful valentine to intimate matters of the heart.
08/22/02
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