Middle of Nowhere 2012

Middle of Nowhere

Critics Consensus

Wise, compassionate, and beautifully acted, Middle of Nowhere offers an early testament to writer-director Ava DuVernay's startling talent.

88%

TOMATOMETER

Total Count: 50

64%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 2,643

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Movie Info

A med student (Emayatzy Corinealdi) considers leaving her long-imprisoned husband (Omari Hardwick) for a charming bus driver (David Oyelowo).
  • Rating:
    R (Some Language)
  • Genre:
    romance, drama
  • Original Language:
    English
  • Director:
    Ava DuVernay
  • Producer:
    Ava DuVernay, Howard Barish
  • Writer:
    Ava DuVernay
  • Release Date (Theaters):
     limited
  • Release Date (Streaming):
  • Box Office (Gross USA):
    $166.9K
  • Runtime:
  • Production Co:
    Forward Movement

Cast & Crew

Emayatzy Corinealdi
Ruby
David Oyelowo
Brian
Omari Hardwick
Derek
Lorraine Toussaint
Ruth
Edwina Findley
Rosie
Sharon Lawrence
Fraine
Dondre Whitfield
Littleton
Troy Curvey III
Rashad
Maya Gilbert
Gina
Ava DuVernay
Director
Ava DuVernay
Screenwriter
Ava DuVernay
Producer
Howard Barish
Producer
Bradford Young
Cinematographer
Spencer Averick
Film Editor
Kathryn Bostic
Original Music
Bill Lakoff
Art Director
Claudia Roque
Art Director
Ilka Urbach
Set Decoration
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Critic Reviews for Middle of Nowhere

All Critics (50) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (44) | Rotten (6)

  • A film remarkably true to life's haphazard rhythms.

    February 8, 2013 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

    Peter Howell

    Toronto Star
    Top Critic

  • Made by a black American woman, about a black American woman, it's a study of a culture where the matriarchs are strong by necessity and trapped by circumstance - adrift in the middle of nowhere.

    February 8, 2013 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

    Rick Groen

    Globe and Mail
    Top Critic

  • [A] hushed, tenderly observant drama about a young woman trying to do right by herself and her marriage while her husband is in prison.

    November 30, 2012 | Rating: 3/4

    Lisa Kennedy

    Denver Post
    Top Critic

  • This is a tough-minded story of change that happens in almost imperceptibly tiny increments - as true growth so often does in reality.

    October 24, 2012 | Rating: B+ | Full Review…

    Lisa Schwarzbaum

    Entertainment Weekly
    Top Critic

  • This film is about a particular African-American experience, true, but it's also about the human experience. It will haunt you. It should.

    October 19, 2012 | Rating: A | Full Review…

    Tom Long

    Detroit News
    Top Critic

  • A sluggish enterprise, not measured or languorous or full of detail, but plodding, with scenes that run too long and others that are unnecessary.

    October 18, 2012 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

    Mick LaSalle

    San Francisco Chronicle
    Top Critic
View All Critic Reviews (50)

Audience Reviews for Middle of Nowhere

  • Jul 03, 2015
    A woman suspends her life to support her imprisoned husband. There is without a doubt something profound, personal, and authentic about this film, which is to the credit of Emayatzy Corinealdi and writer/director Ava DuVernay, but the plot is plodding and slowly rendered. it's hard to make an exciting film about waiting, so part of the film's problem is the story it's trying to tell. Nevertheless, the film has important things to say about gender roles, race relations, and personal growth. Overall, Middle of Nowhere tries to rend the most out of its actors and story, but the film's pace ultimately dooms it.
    Jim H Super Reviewer
  • Oct 23, 2012
    "Middle of Nowhere" starts with Ruby(Emayatzy Corinealdi), a nurse, visiting her husband Derek(Omari Hardwick) at the prison in Victorville. While he is pessimistic about his chances, she reminds him that with good behavior he can get out in five years. Four and half years later, her hope has not diminished a bit, as she still makes regular visits to the prison, on top of her hospital rounds and babysitting for her sister Rosie(Edwina Findley), with their disapproving mother(Lorraine Toussaint) looking on. And then Ruby gets news that Derek may be getting out sooner than even she had thought possible... "Middle of Nowhere" is a well-acted, modest and understated movie. So much so, that even the grandstanding comes off as subtle. As the movie drops pieces of information throughout, some may find Ruby more than a little naive when in fact she had been dropped into an unfamiliar world where so many women have to regularly endure the emotional and economic hardships that she now lives with. In any case, how could you not like a character who likes foreign films?(In this case, "Ali: Fear Eats the Soul.") And, yes, people do ride the bus in Los Angeles.
    Walter M Super Reviewer
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