[The film] likes these people and these kooky scenarios too much to detach itself enough to simply observe them. And it doesn't understand them well enough to convince us they make sense.
1 Comment
07/13/07
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Introducing The Dwights (2007)
53
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:85
Fresh:45
Rotten:40
Average Rating:5.5/10
Consensus: Despite the strength of its earnest portrayal of family dysfunction, Introducing the Dwights is predictable and tries too hard to be quirky.
Theatrical Release:Jul 4, 2007 Limited
Box Office: $263,040
Synopsis: This Australian coming-of-age comedy/drama features SECRETS AND LIES star Brenda Blethyn as Jeannie, a semi-monstrous mom who gave up a promising career as a British comic to move Down Under and... [More]
Starring: Brenda Blethyn, Richard Wilson, Khan Chittenden, Frankie J. Holden
Director: Cherie Nowlan
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Reviews for Introducing The Dwights
Top CriticClick to read the article
06/30/07
Down-under mom's over the top in Dwight.
07/07/07
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07/21/07
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07/27/07
A funny-sad, icky-sweet comedy of family dysfunction.
07/05/07
Top CriticWith its broad, toothless humor and ham-fisted fits of melodrama, this sitcom-grade embarrassment aims to dethrone Muriel's Wedding as the quirky Aussie feel-gooder of all time, except it hurts too much to watch.
07/05/07
Blethyn creates sympathy for a manipulative, prickly character who's struggling to redefine her roles onstage and off. Director Cherie Nowlan steers the comedy to a feel-good ending.
07/13/07
Slightly slapsticky with broad Aussie humour, Cherie Nowlan's Introducing the Dwights is an ordinary dramedy that features a fine performance by British star Blenda Blethyn, but falls short in charm and originality.
07/13/07
In the hands of Mike Leigh, this could be a masterpiece, as it is, it's forgettable fun.
09/21/07
Brenda Blethyn gets her teeth into the role of a flamboyant showbiz monster who can't accept that her career has failed to make the big time.
09/21/07
Promising turns from Booth and Chittenden aren't enough to save a slight and sloppy Aussie soap from a poor script, messy direction and Blethyn's overbearing performance.
09/21/07
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10/18/08
Yes, Introducing the Dwights is a melodrama, but this melodrama handles its emotional manipulation with such subtle honesty that it takes on an impressive degree of realism.
02/28/08
There are films about monstrous overbearing moms, often played by Shelley Winters, and there are those "heartwarming" losing-one's-virginity flicks ("Summer of '42"). Australia's entry into this field consolidates the best elements of both genres.
07/08/07
Introducing the Dwights is a marvelous Australian family dramedy that occasionally creates the claustrophobic sensation of being trapped in quarreling hell.
07/11/07
Reminiscent of past Australian films that didn't hesitate to throw jarring characters at us and challenge us to appreciate their humanity, even amidst wacky behaviours.
07/20/07
Some offbeat humor shines through the clouds of this glum domestic drama, especially when fun friends shift the focus from Jean's grating histrionics. But it never lasts long.
07/20/07
Top CriticThe movie belongs to Blethyn, who takes a difficult, easily misunderstood role and gracefully cracks it open to reveal what's inside.
07/07/07
Top CriticLeads right back to the usual sitcom destination.
07/19/07
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