While The Answer Man has a meandering pace and ultimately goes precisely where you think it will, first-timer Hindman makes the journey pleasant among these literate and interesting folk.
Comment
08/27/09
The Answer Man (2009)
31
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:39
Fresh:12
Rotten:27
Average Rating:5/10
Consensus: The Answer Man takes an interesting premise and overloads it with implausible scenarios, indie comedy cliches, and an all-too-familiar story arc that only occasionally benefits from its typically capable actors.
Theatrical Release:Jul 24, 2009 Limited
Synopsis: From first-time director John Hindman, comes THE ANSWER MAN, a romantic comedy starring Jeff Daniels (The Squid and the Whale), Lauren Graham (“Gilmore Girls”) and Lou Taylor Pucci (Thumbsucker).... [More]
Starring: Jeff Daniels, Lauren Graham, Lou Taylor Pucci, Olivia Thirlby
Director: John Hindman
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Reviews for The Answer Man
Watchable and occasionally endearing, but it's frustrating when our good will is tested by greeting-card sentiment and assembly-line clichés.
08/08/09
These are FATAL flaws in the screenplay -- not rooting for the romance to work and not rooting for the lead to find redemption. I wanted God to strike Arlen Faber down in the street.
08/07/09
An earnest, banal, not-quite-satire of New Age wisdom that evolves into a psychobabbling romantic drama.
08/06/09
Well-meaning rubbish is still rubbish.
08/06/09
How much more interesting is a film like (500) Days of Summer, which is about the complexities of life, in comparison with this one, which cheerfully cycles through the cliches.
08/06/09
Top CriticThe Answer Man is a perfect example of an Intelligent Bad Movie, easy to take, promising along the way ... And then things start to go wrong.
07/31/09
Top CriticFirst-time director/screenwriter John Hindman seems aware of how predictable his premise could be, and despite a plot hole or two, he's put together a smart script with likable characters and lively dialogue that subverts the obvious clichés.
07/30/09
An unpretentious, subtle story of one man's redemption.
07/29/09
Top CriticYou have a likable cast, an engaging enough story with a few moments of both humor and emotional honesty.
07/27/09
Top CriticIt almost felt like the characters weren’t really reciting dialogue that came from them but rather just simply memorizing it off the script.
07/27/09
Top CriticAnswer Man is a pleasant and enjoyable film, easy to go down, and often wrong about details: perfect for network TV.
07/26/09
Has a terrific cast and charming performances, but it's often lazy, contrived, lacking insight and, ultimately, underwhelming in terms of drama, romance and comedy.
07/25/09
As part of the current season's spate of philosophical lifestyle pap movies like "Away We Go" and "$9.99," first-time-director (oh how I rue those words) John Hindman trips at every step.
07/25/09
The Answer Man is like a great big breath of fresh air on the first nice day of spring. It is a story with characters who feel real, as they try to find real answers to real problems.
07/25/09
For all intents and purposes an uncredited remake of As Good As It Gets, which was kind of a crap flick to begin with...
07/25/09
Daniels' Faber can be a curmudgeon one moment and a charmer the next, and it's hard to accept the notion that Graham's level-headed gal wouldn't instantly see through his act and show him the door.
07/24/09
Top CriticThis two-bit echo of The Accidental Tourist is a preachy pill that wastes the genial, funny Jeff Daniels and the criminally underused Lauren Graham.
07/24/09
Top CriticI could see the sparks flying, but they were being generated by my back teeth.
07/24/09
Top CriticWhile the film periodically threatens to veer into extreme cutesy indie territory, Daniels and Graham keep it grounded.
07/24/09
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