RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Constellation
Constellation

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Constellation (2007)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
00 %
Tomatometer
Template Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:20

Fresh:0

Rotten:20

Average Rating:3.3/10

Consensus: Though earnestly directed, Constellation lacks dramatic fireworks and eventually falls into TV-movie sentimentality.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for brief strong language and a sexual reference.

Runtime: 1 hr 45 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Feb 2, 2007 Limited

Box Office: $215,801

Synopsis: Gabrielle Union (BRING IT ON, MOESHA) stars in CONSTELLATION as Carmel Boxer, a woman who loved the wrong man at the wrong time--a white man (David Clennon) in pre-civil rights Alabama.  After he... Gabrielle Union (BRING IT ON, MOESHA) stars in CONSTELLATION as Carmel Boxer, a woman who loved the wrong man at the wrong time--a white man (David Clennon) in pre-civil rights Alabama.  After he breaks her heart by succumbing to societal pressure, she spends a lifetime yearning for the love that could never be, while providing unconditional love for those all around her. Her death brings her loved ones back to Alabama to honor her and mend their own hearts after decades of dysfunction and mismanaged relationships. Carmel's younger, troubled artist brother, Helms (Billy Dee Williams), has lived in self-exile in Paris, neglecting his two daughters, Lucy (Melissa DeSousa) and Rosa (Zoe Saldana), and leaving behind an ex-wife (Lesley Ann Warren) and ex-lover (Rae Dawn Chong). It's the affection and respect everyone has for Carmel that brings them together, but now that she is gone, will her legacy offer enough motivation to heal damaged hearts? CONSTELLATION writer and director Jordan Walker-Pearlman brings together an outstanding ensemble cast who give strong performances against the stunning backdrop of Huntsville, Alabama. However, the essence of the story--the struggle of biracial relationships woven over decades through the hardships of broken families--is compelling, and the idea of being connected like a constellation of stars is heartwarming. [More]

Starring: Gabrielle Union, Lesley Ann Warren, Zoe Saldana, Billy Dee Williams

Starring: Gabrielle Union, Lesley Ann Warren, Zoe Saldana, Billy Dee Williams, Hill Harper, David Clennon, Rae Dawn Chong, Alex Newman

Director: Jordan Walker Pearlman

Director: Jordan Walker Pearlman
Producer: Shannon Murphy
Composer: Michael Bearden
Studio: Freestyle Releasing

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

Click on the "ADD" button to put this movie into your Netflix queue.

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

May 22, 2007

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Constellation

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

The flashbacks are almost as smoothly subtle as the title of one of the paintings showcased by Billy Dee Williams’s character: Portrait of a Journey.

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
02/10/07
Melissa Anderson
Melissa Anderson
Time Out New York

This overplotted, emotional dump plods along as if the characters are stuck in the cinematic equivalent of quicksand, never generating any traction because no matter how much everybody vents, nothing of consequence ever transpires.

Full Review Source: EURWeb | comment Comment
02/08/07
Kam Williams
Kam Williams
EURWeb

Neither the camera nor the script can focus.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
02/07/07
Scott Brown
Scott Brown
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

I'm nodding off just thinking about the long, static close-ups and endless scenes of people walking and sitting and doing nothing.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
02/06/07
Frank Lovece
Frank Lovece
Film Journal International

... the biggest problem is that the insights ... are strictly Hallmark TV movie stuff, an association reinforced by the mawkish visual style and score.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
02/05/07
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

The stage is set for emotional pyrotechnics that never quite materialize, because for all their squabbles, grudges and grievances, they all basically love each other.

Full Review Source: TV Guide's Movie Guide | comment Comment
02/02/07
Maitland McDonagh
Maitland McDonagh
TV Guide's Movie Guide

There are too many characters too sketchily defined, and some of the relationships are pure contrivances.

Full Review Source: Newark Star-Ledger | comment Comment
02/02/07
Stephen Whitty
Stephen Whitty
Newark Star-Ledger
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Scenes in which little or nothing happens pass by slowly, and the only point of suspense is whether the number of tearful hugs at the end will reach double digits.

Full Review Source: New York Post | comment Comment
02/02/07
Kyle Smith
Kyle Smith
New York Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A movie whose abundant smarts are fatally compromised by its writer-director Jordan Walker-Pearlman's rudimentary filmmaking skills.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
02/02/07
Bob Strauss
Bob Strauss
Los Angeles Daily News

Loosely edited scenes juxtaposed in the most vexing ways and completely disparate motifs blurs Constellation into an image that the Hubble Space Telescope could not sharpen.

Full Review Source: Boxoffice Magazine | comment Comment
02/02/07
Tim Cogshell
Tim Cogshell
Boxoffice Magazine

If earnestness equaled skill, Constellation would be a classic.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
02/02/07
Matt Zoller Seitz
Matt Zoller Seitz
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Featuring a stalwart cast (many of whom appeared in Walker-Pearlman's 2000 drama, The Visit) and some delicately wrought moments, the film is unable to overcome its soap opera scenario and clunky pacing.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Times | comment Comment
02/01/07
Kevin Crust
Kevin Crust
Los Angeles Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Although the performers -- including Lesley Ann Warren, David Clennon and Rae Dawn Chong -- are pleasing to watch with their semi-improvised encounters, their scenes don't add up to the accumulative glow the filmmaker had in mind.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
02/01/07
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

An accomplished cast that includes Billy Dee Williams, Lesley Ann Warren and Rae Dawn Chong struggles to elevate material that rarely gets deeper than a daytime soap, though it tries mightily.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
02/01/07
Sheri Linden
Sheri Linden
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The narration, intrusive and often unneeded, is interrupted by long sequences without dialogue.

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
02/01/07
Bill Muller
Bill Muller
Arizona Republic
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Moody pictures, swollen music and portentous dialogue are all great, but they need to have a narrative propping them up.

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
02/01/07
John Anderson
John Anderson
Newsday
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Constellation positions itself as a sweeping, multigenerational tearjerker in the style of The Notebook, complete with endless shots of two characters staring meaningfully at one another while gloppy music wells on the soundtrack.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
02/01/07
Scott Foundas
Scott Foundas
L.A. Weekly

Lacks focus with its plethora of family entanglements.

Full Review Source: Compuserve | comment Comment
01/28/07
Harvey S. Karten
Harvey S. Karten
Compuserve

There are no revelations here, no real reconciliations, as nobody really hates each other.

Full Review Source: Greenwich Village Gazette | comment Comment
01/27/07
Eric Lurio
Eric Lurio
Greenwich Village Gazette

It's tempting to simply dismiss Constellation as a TV movie-quality feature, but such a description nonetheless probably sells TV movies short.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
01/20/07
Nick Schager
Nick Schager
Slant Magazine
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View
See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
15% 15% The Ugly Truth
98% 98% Up
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
68% 68% Funny People
25% 25% Four Christmases
45% 45% Shorts

More New Releases…

See All

RT On Current TV

The Rotten Tomatoes Show on Current TV

DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...

Learn how you can be part of the show

More...

What’s Hot On RT

Total Recall

Total Recall

John Travolta's top reviewed movies

Disney Countdown

Disney Countdown

Look back on Disney's best animated movies!

RT's Gift Guide

RT's Gift Guide

Give the best movies, gear, and more!

Ninja Assassin

Ninja Assassin

Learn to train like a ninja in this clip!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
30
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
112
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
64
  • Forbes Names Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors Source: Forbes
20
  • Chris Weitz Says He's (Almost) Done with Directing Source: Film School Rejects
26
  • Spider-Man 4 Casting Rumors Multiply Like Rabbits Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
51
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
168
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
129
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Twilight's New Moon Dazzle?
97
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
75
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
62
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
56
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
32
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: Angels & Demons, Funny People, and Superman
18
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
8
  • Ho, ho, ho! It's RT's Great Big Gift Guide!
0
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
8
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
8
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
6
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
19
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Constellation at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
Wes Anderson on Fox
Wes Anderson on Fox External Link

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

The New Cult Canon
The New Cult Canon External Link

AV Club looks at a beloved cult classic, Sam Raimi's Army of Darkness.

New Moon Portraits
New Moon Portraits External Link

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Unsexiest Men Alive
Unsexiest Men Alive External Link

Moviefone lists their choices for the least attractive men in Hollywood.

Promos
Follow RT on Twitter
Follow RT on Twitter External Link

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Games| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.