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 / Raising Flagg
Raising Flagg

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Get this Movie
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Raising Flagg (2007)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
23 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:13

Fresh:3

Rotten:10

Average Rating:4.5/10

Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Alan Arkin, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2007 for his role as the crusty old grandpa in LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, stars as another crusty character in RAISING FLAGG, a comedy directed by... Alan Arkin, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2007 for his role as the crusty old grandpa in LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, stars as another crusty character in RAISING FLAGG, a comedy directed by Neal Miller and written by Miller, his wife, Nancy, and Dorothy Velasco. Arkin plays Flagg Purdy, a handyman living in a small Oregon town with his wife, Ada (Barbara Dana, Arkin's real-life ex-wife), and their daughter Jenny (Stephanie Lemelin). All of their other children have grown up and moved away--as far from their father as possible. When Flagg gets into a heated dispute with his neighbor, Gus Falk (Austin Pendleton), over sheep messing with Flagg's water supply, the two end up in court, where Flagg triumphs by a technicality while losing favor with the community. With everyone against him, he collapses into bed, sure he is going to die. Soon his crazy family--including radio talk show host Ann Marie (Glenne Headly), real estate agent Rachel (Lauren Holly), and traveling minister Travis (Matthew Arkin, Alan's real-life son and Dana's stepson)--is gathered around him, causing more and more trouble and reopening old wounds. Based on the short story "Don't Cry for Me" by John D. Weaver, RAISING FLAGG is a follow-up (though not a sequel) to 1984's A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE, in which Arkin and Dana also played Flagg and Ada in a movie based on a Weaver story with a screenplay by Neal and Nancy Miller. In RAISING FLAGG, Arkin is a riot as Flagg, who refuses to bend in any direction, insisting he is always right and always treated unfairly despite all the evidence to the contrary. Neal Miller carefully carves out each member of the Purdy family, giving each one a unique relationship with the troubled father. [More]

Starring: Alan Arkin, Lauren Holly, Glenne Headly, Daniel Quinn

Starring: Alan Arkin, Lauren Holly, Glenne Headly, Daniel Quinn, Matthew Arkin, Austin Pendleton, Barbara Dana, Richard Kind, Clifton James

Director: Neal Miller

Director: Neal Miller
Screenwriter: Neal Miller, Nancy Miller, Dorothy Velasco
Producer: Neal Miller, Nancy Miller
Composer: Alan Barcus, Les Hooper

[See More Credits]

Get This Movie

Rent DVD
 
 

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

 
 
Buy DVD
 
 
Release:

Jan 15, 2008

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Raising Flagg

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 13 (sorted by rotten rating)
Text View
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Dana is really the heart of the movie, giving a subtle, low-key performance.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles CityBeat | comment Comment
10/12/07
Andy Klein
Andy Klein
Los Angeles CityBeat

Feels like a TV movie.

Full Review Source: Los Angeles Daily News | comment Comment
09/28/07
Evan Henerson
Evan Henerson
Los Angeles Daily News

Has some fine moments for Alan Arkin and his ex-wife Barbara Dana, but its bloated inconsequentiality is simply head-shaking.

Full Review Source: Film Journal International | comment Comment
02/12/07
Frank Lovece
Frank Lovece
Film Journal International

Alan Arkin has the enviable ability of making nearly everything he's in watchable. Sadly, Raising Flagg sorely tests that ability.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
10/04/07
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Too bad the offscreen intrigue doesn't make up for what flags in Flagg.

Full Review Source: Entertainment Weekly | comment Comment
02/07/07
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Lisa Schwarzbaum
Entertainment Weekly
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Crusty characters, a bluegrass soundtrack and a dysfunctional family that could exist only in the minds of Hollywood screenwriters make this film more precious than real -- or funny.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
10/04/07
Meg Jones
Meg Jones
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Alan Arkin tries, but fails, as the gold standard curmudgeon who never had it so good.

Full Review Source: Monsters and Critics | comment Comment
01/31/07
Ron Wilkinson
Ron Wilkinson
Monsters and Critics

Miller's affection for the Purdys... and their rustic way of life can't compensate for the script's clunky pacing and occasional moralizing.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
10/05/07
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune

Most of the confrontations play out tepidly and predictably.

Full Review Source: Hollywood Reporter | comment Comment
10/01/07
Stephen Farber
Stephen Farber
Hollywood Reporter
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

The story is fairly slight and some of the characters are broadly drawn or not sketched at all.

Full Review Source: Murphy's Movie Reviews | comment Comment
02/02/07
Ted Murphy
Ted Murphy
Murphy's Movie Reviews

Erich Roland’s HD cinematography is the only element of the film one can honestly enjoy.

Full Review Source: L.A. Weekly | comment Comment
09/27/07
James C. Taylor
James C. Taylor
L.A. Weekly

Some of the characters' problems are wrapped up a bit too neatly, but the mild contrivances work because the principles are so endearing -- we want them to be happy, so when they are, it's satisfying, even if the happy moments aren't so honestly achieved.

Full Review Source: Reel.com | comment Comment
02/02/07
Jim Hemphill
Jim Hemphill
Reel.com

It's slight stuff, with several conflicts settled off-screen, but it's not without its low-key charms.

Full Review Source: Oregonian | comment Comment
10/21/05
M.E. Russell
M.E. Russell
Oregonian
 
 
1 - 13 (sorted by rotten rating)
Text View
See All

More DVDs

Close
Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
78% 78% The Hangover
88% 88% Inglourious Basterds
66% 66% Public Enemies
24% 24% G-Force
44% 44% Night at the Museum: B…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
90% 90% District 9
86% 86% 500 Days of Summer
63% 63% Extract
06% 06% All About Steve
78% 78% It Might Get Loud

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

Best of the Decade

Best of the Decade

Find out what movies made our list!

Iron Man 2

Iron Man 2

Watch the brand new trailer now!

Clash of the Titans

Clash of the Titans

Prepare to Clash with Titans in this trailer!

Total Recall

Total Recall

RT looks back on Jude Law's best movies!

Other News

Close
  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • New Toy Story 3 Clip, Photos Posted Source: Slashfilm
14
  • Danny Trejo Talks Machete, Possible Sequels Source: Collider.com
14
  • It's Official: Jackass 3-D Coming in 2010 Source: Collider.com
16
  • Bryan Singer Returning to X-Men for First Class Source: Superhero Hype
102
  • Mark Strong Talks Kick-Ass, John Carter, and Robin Hood Source: Collider.com
1
  • How Avatar Happened: The Path to Innovation Source: CinemaBlend.com
19
  • Rob Marshall Says Pirates 4 Is Still a Maybe Source: ComingSoon.net
32
  • ET Teases Iron Man 2 Teaser Source: Collider.com
28
  • Tobey Maguire Refutes Hobbit Rumors Source: Hollywood Reporter
9
  • Prince of Persia Featurette Posted Source: Yahoo! Movies
4
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Avatar Soars to #1 Spot
261
  • RT's Best of the Decade!
124
  • Brittany Murphy: 1977-2009
115
  • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson
68
  • Total Recall: Jude Law's Best Movies
52
  • Weekly Ketchup: Bryan Singer Teaches X-Men: First Class
44
  • RT on DVD & Blu-Ray: District 9 and (500) Days of Summer
32
  • Critics Consensus: Sherlock Holmes Is Worth Investigating
29
  • Friday Harvest: Alice in Wonderland, Sherlock Holmes, and more!
14
  • What We're Watching on Blu-ray from Disney!
8
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • Five Favorite Films With Peter Jackson
68
  • Robert Downey Jr. talks Sherlock Holmes & Iron Man 2 - RT Interview
21
  • 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
24
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
16
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
24
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
9
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Raising Flagg at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
Best Dozen of the Decade
Best Dozen of the Decade External Link

Last week, MSN gave us their top 09 films. Now see what their favorites of the decade are!

Top 50 of 2009
Top 50 of 2009 External Link

Here's a list of the 50 best movies of 2009, according to the good people over at Moviefone.

Santa's Naughty List
Santa's Naughty List External Link

Hollywood.com takes a stab at determining who in movies will be on Santa's naughty list in 2009.

Top 10 Movies of 2009
Top 10 Movies of 2009 External Link

TIME chimes in with their own list of the best films released this year.

Top 20 of the Decade
Top 20 of the Decade External Link

Click through to see which movies BuzzSugar placed in their Best-of-Decade list!

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
About Us | Advertise | Contact Us | Press | Careers
IGN | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | Direct2Drive | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Game Sites | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | GIGA.DE | What They Play | Battlefield Heroes
By continuing past this page, and by your continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. | Support | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! 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.