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MOVIES / ON DVD / OUR SONG
Our Song

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Our Song (2001)

90%
95%
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90 %
Reviews Counted: 50 Fresh: 45  Rotten:5 Average Rating: 7.2/10
 
Consensus: Graced with such a realistic feel that it resembles a documentary, Our Song is a sensitive portrayal of three teenage girls.
 

How does the Tomatometer work?

The Tomatometer measures the percentage of positive reviews from Approved Tomatometer Critics for a certain movie.[-]

Runtime: 1 hr 37 mins

Theatrical Release: May 25, 2001 Limited

Synopsis: OUR SONG follows three very real high school girls over one summer in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Best friends and confidants, the girls--Lanisha (Kerry Washington), Maria (Melissa Martinez), and Joycelyn (Anna Simpson)--have different family situations, different romantic interests,... OUR SONG follows three very real high school girls over one summer in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Best friends and confidants, the girls--Lanisha (Kerry Washington), Maria (Melissa Martinez), and Joycelyn (Anna Simpson)--have different family situations, different romantic interests, different moral codes, and their own unique dreams. Their differences add a searching, inquisitive element to their conversations, and ultimately make them closer. They are all dedicated members of the Jackie Robinson Steppers, a community marching band that holds daily rehearsals in a local parking lot. The girls talk about mastering the instruments they play and impressing the conductor. They also have jobs. Joycelyn works at a makeup boutique; Marie and Lanisha work at a bakery. Sometimes they talk about what they'll do after high school, but most of their conversations are about the difficult immediate issues that face them daily. Their school is not going to reopen in the fall due to an asbestos problem, and they each must figure out how to find a new school with a good reputation, enroll, and commute each day. Pregnancy and teen motherhood are serious considerations for the girls, as many of their friends have babies. A compassionate, honest portrait of adolescent life in Brooklyn, OUR SONG is inspirational in the way its characters take it as it comes, and keep hoping for the best. Director Jim McKay uses a verité filming style that, in combination with the excellent performances from the actresses, makes the film look and feel like a documentary. [More]

Genre: Dramas

Starring: Kerry Washington, Anna Simpson, Melissa Martinez, Marlene Forte, Ray Anthony Thomas

Director: Jim McKay
Screenwriter: Jim McKay
Producer: Paul Mezey, Diana Williams, Jim McKay

DVD Info

Release:

Jan 14, 2003

[DVD Details]

Buy It On DVD

Reviews

 
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1 - 20 (sorted by date)
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Ratings Image
3/4

At times, Our Song feels like a documentary, never once seeming forced or far-fetched.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/01/06
Betsy Bozdech
Reel.com
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1/5

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
12/06/05
Film Threat
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
Ratings Image
4/5

No review available.

comment Comment
11/05/04
Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
05/13/03
Wilson Morales
BlackFilm.com
Ratings Image
N/A

Jim McKay’s “Our Song” is a bittersweet reverberation to the brittleness of friendship.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/13/02
John Esther
Pasadena Weekly
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1/5

It's a film that tries so hard at being lifelike that it forgets to be entertaining.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/08/02
Heather Wadowski
Film Threat
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review | comment Comment
08/09/02
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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5/5

It's an astonishing movie, with a real-life feel.

Full Review | comment Comment
01/06/02
Stephen Hunter
Washington Post
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Ratings Image
4/5

While there are some minor flaws in "Our Song," it is a rich work that introduces three extraordinary young talents and marks a maturation in filmmaker [Jim] McKay.

Full Review | comment Comment
12/21/01
Ted Murphy
Baseline.Hollywood.com
N/R

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Full Review | comment Comment
10/30/01
Peter Rainer
New York Magazine
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Ratings Image
4/4

A humbling, poignant alternative to the movies about teenagers we usually see. This one isn't about a party. It's about life.

Full Review | comment Comment
10/16/01
Joe Baltake
Sacramento Bee
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B

Captures the ups-and-downs in the lives of three New York high school girls with surprising delicacy and honesty.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/21/01
Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion
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N/A

It says something positive about human resilience under duress.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/20/01
Philip Wuntch
Dallas Morning News
Top Critic Icon Top Critic
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N/A

A truly fresh performance can do wonders for a movie, and Our Song has three of them.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/14/01
Jay Boyar
Orlando Sentinel
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N/A

Slow, talky and ultimately ambiguous, the film remains watchable thanks to the effectiveness of its three leads.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/13/01
Steve Schneider
Orlando Weekly
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N/A

Anyone who understands the subtle shadings of friendship will appreciate Our Song's realistic slice of teen life.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/13/01
Connie Ogle
Miami Herald
Ratings Image
N/A

That rare thing, an American movie that looks at teenagers' life with sensitivity and empathy and humanity.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/13/01
Carrie Rickey
Philadelphia Inquirer
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N/A

Beautifully illuminates that poised-on-the-edge period of adolescence and the sad weight of leaving childhood behind.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/07/01
Moira MacDonald
Seattle Times
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B+

It's not clear who is telling whose story, but it's obvious this song belongs to them all.

Full Review | comment Comment
09/06/01
Sean Axmaker
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
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4/5

After watching Our Song, we leave with a very potent sense that these characters have become so real, they continue living beyond the close of the movie.

Full Review | comment Comment
08/30/01
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
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Around the Network

• Our Song at Rotten Tomatoes
• Our Song at IGN
• Our Song at AskMen
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