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Movies / On DVD / The Next Best Thing
The Next Best Thing

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The Next Best Thing (2000)

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17 %
Tomatometer

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Reviews Counted: 89

Fresh: 15

Rotten:74

Average Rating: 3.6/10

Consensus: Story elements clash and acting falls short.

Runtime: 1 hr 48 mins

Genre: Dramas

Synopsis: At her job, driving instructor Abbie (Madonna) has no problems getting her students to bend over backwards and tie themselves into knots for her. But in life she can't seem to find anyone to tie... At her job, driving instructor Abbie (Madonna) has no problems getting her students to bend over backwards and tie themselves into knots for her. But in life she can't seem to find anyone to tie the knot with her. Robert (Everett), her best friend and confidant, runs a successful landscaping business but is having equally dismal luck finding his Mr. Right. When Abbie's latest relationship crumbles, she turns to Robert (who happens to be gay) for comfort and advice. They commiserate over a parade of margaritas and martinis, which results in an unexpected tryst. Abbie becomes pregnant and believing, that this may be her one shot at motherhood, decides to have the child. Robert, committed to being a good father, moves in with her, and together they create an unconventional but loving home for their precocious son, Sam (Stumpf). Robert continues to date but keeps parenting as his first priority. Abbie, on the other hand, uses her yoga skills to remain celibate but finally relents when she meets Ben (Bratt), a handsome and charming investment banker. Romance flowers between Abbie and Ben, and as they grow closer Robert feels his role as father threatened. Tensions mount, and when Abbie and Ben announce plans to be wed, the family explodes over a heart-wrenching custody battle for Sam. Everett sparkles and Madonna oozes her usual cool in this drama/comedy from the director of MIDNIGHT COWBOY. [More]

Starring: Madonna, Rupert Everett, Benjamin Bratt, Illeana Douglas

Starring: Madonna, Rupert Everett, Benjamin Bratt, Illeana Douglas, Michael Vartan, Josef Sommer, Malcolm Stumpf, Lynn Redgrave, Neil Patrick Harris, Mark Valley, Stacy Edwards, Linda Larkin

Director: John Schlesinger

Director: John Schlesinger
Screenwriter: Thomas Ropelewski
Producer: Leslie Dixon, Tom Rosenberg, Linne Radmin
Composer: Gabriel Yared

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Jan 16, 2001

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Reviews for The Next Best Thing

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Full Review Source: Sacramento News & Review | comment Comment
08/07/08
Bob Grimm
Sacramento News & Review
N/R

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Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
04/27/07
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
N/R

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Full Review Source: Combustible Celluloid | comment Comment
05/26/06
Jeffrey M. Anderson
Combustible Celluloid
N/R

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Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
01/26/06
Time Out
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This astonishingly bad tearjerker, a Fannie Hurst weepie with a gay twist, is as phony as a three-dollar bill and just about as entertaining.

Full Review Source: One Guy's Opinion | comment Comment
12/06/05
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion

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

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Full Review Source: New York Magazine | comment Comment
08/07/04
Peter Rainer
New York Magazine
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Full Review Source: Palo Alto Weekly | comment Comment
05/20/03
Leonard Schwarz
Palo Alto Weekly

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Full Review Source: Film Quips Online | comment Comment
02/08/03
John R. McEwen
Film Quips Online

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Full Review Source: Nick's Flick Picks | comment Comment
01/10/03
Nick Davis
Nick's Flick Picks

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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/08/02
Film Threat
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Full Review Source: Film Threat | comment Comment
12/08/02
Film Threat
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Sight and Sound | comment Comment
12/02/02
Kevin Maher
Sight and Sound
N/R

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Full Review Source: Cincinnati Enquirer | comment Comment
10/15/02
Margaret A. McGurk
Cincinnati Enquirer

Well-intentioned but heavy-handed.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
09/09/02
Eric Monder
Film Journal International
N/R

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Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
06/18/02
Edward Guthmann
San Francisco Chronicle
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Full Review Source: Globe and Mail | comment Comment
03/22/02
Globe and Mail
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N/R

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Full Review Source: Shadows on the Wall | comment Comment
12/10/01
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
N/R

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Full Review Source: Movieline | comment Comment
04/17/01
Movieline
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