RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
RT's Blu-ray HQ
  • 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 / Melinda and Melinda
Melinda and Melinda

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

Melinda and Melinda (2005)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
53 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:150

Fresh:80

Rotten:70

Average Rating:5.8/10

Consensus: Woody Allen's uneven Melinda and Melinda fails to find neither comedy nor pathos in what seems like a rehash of his previous themes.

Rated: PG-13 [See Full Rating] for adult situations involving sexuality, and some substance material.

Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins

Genre: Dramas

Theatrical Release:Mar 18, 2005 Limited

Box Office: $3,727,614

Synopsis: Woody Allen mixes the tragic with the comic in MELINDA AND MELINDA, a delightful, intelligent look at two versions of the same story. After hearing a tale about a quirky woman who walks in... Woody Allen mixes the tragic with the comic in MELINDA AND MELINDA, a delightful, intelligent look at two versions of the same story. After hearing a tale about a quirky woman who walks in unexpectedly on a dinner party in an apartment in New York City, Sy (Wallace Shawn) expands it into a romantic comedy, while Max (Larry Pine) turns it into an urban tragedy. Allen intercuts between the two retellings, intermingling cause and effect, love and romance, failure and success, as Melinda creates havoc in both fictional worlds. Each story has its own cast: the comedy features Will Ferrell, Amanda Peet, and Josh Brolin; the tragedy stars Chloe Sevigny, Jonny Lee Miller, and Chiwetel Ejiofor. Radha Mitchell is the only repeat actor, playing both Melindas, and she does a tremendous job. Interestingly, the comic section is not a straight laughfest, like Allen's SLEEPERS, ANNIE HALL, or BULLETS OVER BROADWAY, and the more serious part is not nearly as dour as INTERIORS or ANOTHER WOMAN. Instead, Allen, who has been criticized by critics and fans alike for not making more funny films, has created two parallel universes that each combines aspects of comedy and tragedy, resulting in a wonderful, insightful drama. [More]

Starring: Wallace Shawn, Larry Pine, Radha Mitchell, Jonny Lee Miller

Starring: Wallace Shawn, Larry Pine, Radha Mitchell, Jonny Lee Miller, Chloë Sevigny, Will Ferrell, Chjwetel Ejiofor, Amanda Peet, Steve Carell, Shalom Harlow, Vanessa Shaw, Josh Brolin

Director: Woody Allen

Director: Woody Allen
Screenwriter: Andy Borowitz, Woody Allen
Studio: Fox Searchlight Pictures

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Melinda and Melinda Trailer
    >
1 of 1

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:

Oct 25, 2005

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Melinda and Melinda

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Bubble View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
tomato
3/5

Felix Vasquez Jr.

While the main lure for audiences--Will Ferrell--is basically forgettable, Allen does compose one fascinating and witty look at the human mind and its own ability to depict events through our own sub-conscious preference.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 29 2009 03:15 AM

Cinema Crazed

tomato

Urban Cinefile Critics

Reminds us there is little to divide comedy from tragedy, and that neither comes exclusively. After all, the tears of sorrow and the tears of joy both come from the same place, and dampen a tissue with equal intensity.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 18 2008 03:43 AM

Urban Cinefile

tomato
3/5

Jim Lane

Mitchell, in her dual role, gives a breakout performance (two of them, in fact).

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 07 2008 03:15 AM

Sacramento News & Review

splat

Prairie Miller

A movie just shouldn't feel like homework. And with the constant shift in stories and repeatedly reinvented characters, unless you're in the mood for taking notes, you're going to feel like you're invited to rehearsals, rather than the finished product.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 28 2007 07:40 PM

Long Island Press

tomato
3/5

Joseph Proimakis

full review in Greek

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 03 2006 09:12 AM

Movies for the Masses

tomato
3.5/5

Rory L. Aronsky

All the inner workings of "Melinda and Melinda" show that Allen has finally risen above, returned to his position as a fine filmmaker.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Aug., 29 2006 05:21 PM

Film Threat

splat

Ken Tucker

Neither version of Melinda, despite Mitchell’s game try at making them distinctive beyond their different hairdos, is funny or tragic enough to fully engage us; there’s no opportunity for an audience to be moved.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 12 2006 03:15 AM

New York Magazine

tomato
4/5

Ian Freer

It has great performances, snappy one-liners and a likeably tricksy structure, all wrapped up in an affirmative antidote to life's daunting complexities. Welcome back, Woody.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Apr., 01 2006 03:36 AM

Empire Magazine

splat

Alan Dale

Allen presents the side-by-side stories as if to compare the comic and tragic views of experience, and it might work but for the fact that the two [playwrights] come up with dissimilar plots featuring different characters played mostly by different actors

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 17 2006 05:33 AM

Blogcritics.org

tomato
B

Christopher Smith

One story, two versions, each from Woody Allen, so you know you're in for it.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 18 2005 06:40 AM

Bangor Daily News (Maine)

splat
3/5

Kevin Carr

The comic side isn’t really that comic.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Nov., 06 2005 11:13 PM

7M Pictures

tomato
4/5

Scott Weinberg

A welcome return to form from a really talented guy who's been churning out cinematic junk for the past few years.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 27 2005 01:40 PM

DVD Clinic

splat
2/5

Enrique Buchichio

(...) aburrida, ni lo suficientemente cómica, ni lo suficientemente dramática...

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 17 2005 04:24 PM

Uruguay Total

splat
4/10

Dragan Antulov

finding the plot "gimmick" seems to exhaust all of Allen's creativity

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 07 2005 11:02 AM

Draxblog Movie Reviews

tomato
3/4

David N. Butterworth

Schizophrenic but mildly diverting, with a revelatory performance by Radha Mitchell in the leads.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jul., 21 2005 03:34 AM

rec.arts.movies.reviews

tomato

Sandra Hall

Happy proof that news of Allen's artistic death has been much exaggerated.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 27 2005 03:15 AM

Sydney Morning Herald

tomato
3/4

Jeff Vice

Overcoming the handicap of an overt, writerly device, Allen crafts a warm comedy and a painful tragedy right before our eyes.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 21 2005 11:39 AM

Deseret News, Salt Lake City

tomato
3/4

Linda Cook

Clever, if not cutting-edge, Woody Allen's "Melinda and Melinda" examines whether we interpet life as a comedy or tragedy.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 15 2005 03:32 PM

KWQC-TV (Iowa)

tomato
C+

Robert Roten

Even though this isn't up to the standards of the best Woody Allen films, it is still worth watching.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 02 2005 12:39 PM

Laramie Movie Scope

splat
C-

Dennis Schwartz

It's all about the same old Woody rehashed musings over struggling artistic New Yorkers living in swell brownstone apartments.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | May., 01 2005 06:03 PM

Ozus' World Movie Reviews

 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date)
Bubble View | 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 >> >|
all

Latest News for Melinda and Melinda

April 25, 2005: Radha Mitchell to Climb the "Silent Hill" for TriStar Pictures
More...

April 20, 2005: Cusack and Peet Have a Favorite "Martian"
Described by The Hollywood Reporter as "a cross between E.T. and Parenthood" is the upcoming family film "The Martian Child." John Cusack ("High... More...

April 01, 2005: Steve Carell to "Get Smart"?
Andrew Weil of ComingSoon.net had a brief chat with funnyman Steve Carell while visiting the set of "The 40-Year-Old Virgin," and here's what the actor had to say... More...

See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
25% 25% Four Christmases
68% 68% Funny People
95% 95% Star Trek
14% 14% The Ugly Truth

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
83% 83% Harry Potter and the H…
67% 67% Public Enemies
75% 75% Julie & Julia
95% 95% The Cove
85% 85% World's Greatest Dad

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

Clint Eastwood

Clint Eastwood

Take a trip through Clint Eastwood's career!

RT's Gift Guide

RT's Gift Guide

Give the best movies, gear, and more!

RT on DVD

RT on DVD

Find the latest releases on DVD and Blu-ray!

D.C. Film Critics

D.C. Film Critics

Up in the Air takes top honors!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Avatar Picks Up Golden Globes Buzz Source: HitFix
9
  • Disney's Upcoming Hand-Drawn Movies Revealed Source: Slashfilm
4
  • Cameron Explains Blue Avatar Aliens Source: MTV
19
  • Matt Damon Expects Greengrass to Return for Fourth Bourne Source: Collider.com
6
  • Burton's Dark Shadows Rising in 2010 Source: Sci Fi Wire
5
  • Exclusive: The World of Where the Wild Things Are
27
  • Peter Jackson Talks Hobbit, LotR Blu-ray Source: Collider.com
20
  • Woman Jailed for Filming New Moon Screening Source: Chicago Sun-Times
18
  • McG Has Plans for Fifth and Sixth Terminator Movies Source: Gizmodo
204
  • Spielberg Hops Away from Harvey Source: Variety
22
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Total Recall: Natalie Portman's Best Movies
83
  • Five Favorite Films with Jason Reitman
57
  • Critics Consensus: Everybody's Fine Is Just OK
50
  • 10 Horrifically Profitable Films
46
  • Sundance 2010: RT's 10 Most Anticipated Movies
41
  • Five Favorite Films with Jesse Ventura
40
  • Weekly Ketchup: Tron Team to Remake The Black Hole
37
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: The Blind Side Takes the Lead
29
  • Awards Tour: National Board of Review Winners List!
28
  • Friday Harvest: Iron Man 2, Harry Potter, and more!
24
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Five Favorite Films With Avatar's Sam Worthington
24
  • Director Ruben Fleischer Talks Zombieland
2
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
12
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
23
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
22
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Melinda and Melinda at Rotten Tomatoes
  • Melinda and Melinda at IGN
  • Melinda and Melinda at AskMen

Fresh Links

Featured
History of Disney Animation
History of Disney Animation External Link

MSN Movies offers a little background on the success of Disney Animation.

90 Years of Screen Vampires
90 Years of Screen Vampires External Link

TIME takes a look back at the history of vampires on film.

Virtuoso Vistas of Lovely Bones
Virtuoso Vistas of Lovely Bones External Link

Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.

Recent Headlines as TV Movies
Recent Headlines as TV Movies External Link

AOL put together a list of 10 recent news items that would be perfect as TV Movies.

The Death of Original Thought
The Death of Original Thought External Link

Hollywood.com's C. Robert Cargill explores how remakes and reboots have warped our thinking.

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.