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 / Love Liza
Love Liza

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

Love Liza (2002)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
54 %
Tomatometer

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted: 85

Fresh: 46

Rotten:39

Average Rating: 5.9/10

Consensus: Hoffman's performance is strong, but the lack of character development and story arc makes Love Liza unsatisfying.

Rated: R [See Full Rating] for drug use, language and brief nudity

Runtime: 1 hr 33 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Dec 30, 2002 Limited

Synopsis: Wilson Joel's (Philip Seymour Hoffman) wife, Liza, has committed suicide, leaving behind a note that he can't bear to read. He tries to go about his usual routine, but when his coworkers start to... Wilson Joel's (Philip Seymour Hoffman) wife, Liza, has committed suicide, leaving behind a note that he can't bear to read. He tries to go about his usual routine, but when his coworkers start to worry about his erratic behavior, they convince him to take a leave of absence to deal with his loss. Liza's mother (Kathy Bates) offers support to Wilson, but when she finds out that he won't open the note, their relationship turns sour. Wilson's life becomes even more tragic when he begins sniffing gasoline as a means to dull his pain, explaining his gas consumption as the result of his interest in model airplanes. A film about grief that provides no easy answers, LOVE LIZA showcases an exceptionally strong lead performance by Hoffman. Wilson's misguided grieving process may be difficult viewing for some, especially during moments which come off as absurdly comic (cued by Jim O'Rourke's superb bossa nova influenced score). But under the direction of first-timer Todd Louiso, this very subtle and deliberately paced work will reward anyone willing to go to the often uncomfortable places it reaches. The strikingly original screenplay by Gordy Hoffman (brother of the film's star) was the winner of the Waldo Salt Screenwriting award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. [More]

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Erika Alexander, JD Walsh

Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Kathy Bates, Erika Alexander, JD Walsh, Jimmy Raskin, Jack Kehler, Sarah Koskoff

Director: Todd Louiso

Director: Todd Louiso
Screenwriter: Gordy Hoffman
Producer: Ruth Charny, Chris Hanley, Jeff Roda, Fernando Sulichin
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
1 - 4 of 4

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

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

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

May 27, 2003

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Love Liza

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
Arrange By: Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Variety | comment Comment
12/01/08
Todd McCarthy
Variety
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Indie icon Philip Seymour Hoffman gives a strong performance that elevates this minor film (written by his brother) above its narrow scope and small-scale production; inexplicably, it won the Sundance Film Festival's Jury Screenplay Award.

Full Review Source: EmanuelLevy.Com | comment Comment
01/24/07
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Geoff Andrew
Time Out

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Daily Mail [UK] | comment Comment
12/15/03
Christopher Tookey
Daily Mail [UK]

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Las Vegas Weekly | comment Comment
09/11/03
Geoff Carter
Las Vegas Weekly

A bela performance de Hoffman é prejudicada pelo roteiro irregular, que o obriga a passar por mudanças súbitas e inexplicáveis, como se a necessidade de arrancar lágrimas do espectador fosse maior do que o interesse em buscar coesão para a história.

comment Comment
08/07/03
Pablo Villaca
Cinema em Cena

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Empire Magazine | comment Comment
06/20/03
Empire Magazine
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Lays grief on with a thickness that smothers.

Full Review Source: Ozus' World Movie Reviews | comment Comment
06/07/03
Dennis Schwartz
Ozus' World Movie Reviews

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Newsday | comment Comment
05/28/03
Newsday
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Love Liza is a festival film that would have been better off staying on the festival circuit.

Full Review Source: Des Moines Register | comment Comment
05/06/03
Jeffrey Bruner
Des Moines Register

Love Liza doesn’t leave us with redemptive speeches or somber homilies but with a hard-earned sense of something moving down deep, below the apparent emptiness

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
04/18/03
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
03/28/03
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

Love the performance, can't say I loved the movie. See review for details.

Full Review Source: Cinerina | comment Comment
03/26/03
Karina Montgomery
Cinerina
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Guardian [UK] | comment Comment
03/25/03
Guardian [UK]
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Despite the film's bizarre developments, Hoffman keeps us riveted with every painful nuance, unexpected flashes of dark comedy and the character's gripping humanity.

Full Review Source: Rochester Democrat and Chronicle | comment Comment
03/14/03
Jack Garner
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Pointless claptrap that wastes those fine performances in service of a story that's all too predictable.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
03/14/03
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Hoffman's performance provides the emotional release his brother's script and Louiso's direction try to deny us.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
03/14/03
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

Hoffman is a terrific character actor.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
03/13/03
Duane Dudek
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

The film skillfully taps into the desire to watch the slow burn in its entirety.

Full Review Source: Arizona Daily Star | comment Comment
03/13/03
Phil Villarreal
Arizona Daily Star
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
all

Latest News for Love Liza

June 09, 2005: Paramount Confirms "Mission: Impossible 3" is a Go
Just a day after dropping their proposed "Watchmen" adaptation, Paramount Pictures announced that "Mission: Impossible 3" will go into production on July... More...

May 06, 2005: Connelly and P.S. Hoffman to Do a New "Macbeth"
Director Todd Louiso ("Love Liza") has been trying to get his "Macbeth" adaptation off the ground for a while, and it looks like things are finally moving... More...

See More Topics...

Related Forums for Love Liza

Click here to be the first to post a message on this forum.

See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
79%
79%
Gran Torino
30%
30%
12 Rounds
23%
23%
Confessions of a Shopa…
—
The Code
39%
39%
Inkheart

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
22%
22%
Push
12%
12%
The Unborn

More New Releases…

RT On Current TV

What’s Hot On RT

Deconstructing Harry

Deconstructing Harry

Pt. 3: Cuaron's darker Prisoner of Azkaban

Best Mockumentaries

Best Mockumentaries

From Borat to Spinal Tap, this one goes to 11

Humpday Clip

Humpday Clip

An exclusive peek at the indie comedy!

Half-Blood Prince

Half-Blood Prince

How good is the 6th Harry Potter?

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Weekly Ketchup: T.J. Hooker Film in Development
34
  • Warners Shortens Green Lantern Wishlist Source: Hollywood Reporter
110
  • Harold Ramis Talks Ghostbusters 3 Source: MakingOf.com
36
  • Spider-Man 4 Gets Its Third Writer Source: Latino Review
60
  • Warners Wins Favorable Ruling in Superman Case Source: Variety
20
  • Remo Williams Rides Again Source: Risky Biz
10
  • Mortal Kombat 3 Filming in September? Source: Slashfilm
82
  • MacGruber Gets a Director Source: Variety
39
  • PG-13 Turns 25 Source: VideoETA
8
  • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
92
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Deconstructing Harry, Day 1: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
67
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Transformers and Ice Age Tie for Top Spot
59
  • Deconstructing Harry, Day 3: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
53
  • Deconstructing Harry, Day 2: Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
52
  • Weekly Ketchup: Universal Takes on Asteroids
46
  • Total Recall: Mock Docs That Rock
43
  • Critics Consensus: Bruno is Certified Fresh
43
  • Five Favorite Films with Kathryn Bigelow
39
  • RT on DVD: Knowing, Push, The Unborn Unleashed
26
  • Tomatometer Watch: How Good is Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince?
25
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • RT Interview: Director Carlos Cuaron on Rudo and Cursi
0
  • RT Interview: Tony Scott on The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3
10
  • Cannes 2009: RT Interview - Sally Hawkins on We Want Sex
2
  • RT Interview: Tilda Swinton on Julia
5
  • Hollywood Legend Debbie Reynolds Reflects On her Life in Showbiz
10
  • Exclusive: McG Talks Terminator Salvation
24
  • Georgia Groome - Fresh Talent on RT
5
  • RT Interview: Reading The Reader with Stephen Daldry
11
  • RT Interview: Oscar Nominee Melissa Leo
7
  • Carey Mulligan - Fresh Talent on RT
7
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Love Liza at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Love Liza at IGN
  • Love Liza at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
Point-Counterpoint: Bruno
Point-Counterpoint: Bruno External Link

MSN's David Fear and Frank Paiva go head to head discussing the pros and cons of Bruno star Sacha Baron Cohen.

The New Cult Canon
The New Cult Canon External Link

The AV Club's Scott Tobias takes a second look at David Lynch's cult classic, Lost Highway.

Tom Cruise's 10 Best Roles
Tom Cruise's 10 Best Roles External Link

TIME takes us on a 25-year long journey into the superstar's career, giving us a look at his 10 best roles.

A Baywatch Comedy?
A Baywatch Comedy? External Link

BuzzSugar reports on Paramount's plans to rebirth the iconic TV show as a comedy film.

 
 
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.