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The Newton Boys (1998)

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62

Average Rating: 6.3/10
Reviews Counted: 37
Fresh: 23 | Rotten: 14

No consensus yet.

44

Average Rating: 5.7/10
Critic Reviews: 9
Fresh: 4 | Rotten: 5

No consensus yet.

audience

44

liked it
Average Rating: 2.9/5
User Ratings: 9,420

My Rating

Movie Info

Richard Linklater's fifth feature is a major departure from his previous work -- his first big-budget picture, it's also the first of his films since his 1987 Super-8 effort "It's Impossible to Learn to Plow by Reading Books" not set during his signature 24-hour time frame, offering instead a ravishing bankrobber period piece buoyed by a gentleness of spirit rare among movies of any genre. Its true story tells of the four Texas-born Newton brothers, who between 1919 and 1924 were the most

May 25, 1999

Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment

Cast

All Critics (51) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (23) | Rotten (14) | DVD (1)

A handsome production that nicely evokes the 1920s and a likeable cast headed by McConaughey can't compensate for a Western-gangster film that's too diffuse and lacks a discernibel POV to be dramatically engaging.

July 23, 2006 Full Review Source: Variety | Comment
Variety
Top Critic IconTop Critic

Like the Newtons themselves, the film never goes for the kill.

December 27, 2004 Full Review Source: TheMovieReport.com | Comment
TheMovieReport.com

Linklater seems to understand the root of McConaughey's appeal stems from his wild side. Casting McConaughey as someone noble and high-minded... is like hiring Madonna to play a housewife.

July 3, 2003 Full Review Source: Kalamazoo Gazette | Comment
Kalamazoo Gazette

There's little nuance in the straightforward, chronological way the tale is told--it's hard to point to a scene that's worth discussing after you've left the theatre.

September 9, 2002 Full Review Source: Film Journal International | Comment
Film Journal International

Linklater's genuine regard for his characters and fidelity to his setting are his strongest directorial traits.

March 5, 2002 Full Review Source: MovieMartyr.com | Comment
MovieMartyr.com
More Critic Reviews

Audience Reviews for The Newton Boys

Cast: Matthew McConaughey, Skeet Ulrich, Ethan Hawke, Gail Cronauer, Vincent D'Onofrio, Jena Karam, Julianna Margulies, Casey McAuliffe, Dwight Yoakam Director: Richard Linklater Summary: Four Texan brothers (Vincent D'Onofrio, Ethan Hawke, Matthew McConaughey and Skeet Ulrich) ignite a crime spree in the 1920s,

September 10, 2009
LWOODS04
♥˩ƳИИ ƜѲѲƉƧ♥

Super Reviewer

I was pleasantly surprised at how good this movie turned out. To be honest, I'd never heard of it until a friend recommended it (based on a very old trailer on IMDb). It came out during 1998, which saw both "Mask of Zorro" and "Armageddon", so maybe that's one reason for me never hearing about it. I think it was

April 8, 2009
flutieman07

Super Reviewer

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Latest News for The Newton Boys

July 21, 2005:
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