The Rachel Papers 1989

The Rachel Papers

Critics Consensus

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53%

Audience Score

User Ratings: 1,329

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The Rachel Papers Photos

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Movie Info

Poised to attend Oxford University, 19-year-old Charles Highway (Dexter Fletcher) decides it's high time to have a romantic encounter with an older woman. With the help of a computer program and several eccentric relatives, Highway sets his sights on seducing Rachel Noyce (Ione Skye), a stunning American in her 20s. However, Highway has his work cut out for him. Noyce has a boyfriend, DeForest (James Spader), and is not exactly receptive to Highway's advances -- at first, anyway.

Rating:

R
Genre:

romance
Original Language:

English
Director:

Damian Harris
Producer:

Andrew S. Karsch
Release Date (Streaming):

Aug 5, 2003
Box Office (Gross USA):

$154.6K
Runtime:

1h 35m
Sound Mix:

Surround

Cast & Crew

Dexter Fletcher
Charles Highway

Ione Skye
Rachel Noyce

Jonathan Pryce
Norman

James Spader
Deforest

Bill Patterson
Gordon Highway

Lesley Sharp
Jenny

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for The Rachel Papers

All Critics (10) | Top Critics (5) | Fresh (4) | Rotten (6)

Captures the brash boldness of the novel, but not the literary wit. A misguided affair.

November 8, 2013 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

Barry McIlheney
Empire Magazine
It has a brisk, well-turned-out quality that augurs well for Harris, the son of Richard Harris. Helping set and maintain the film's smart tone is Chaz Jankel and David Storrs' deft, trendy score.

November 8, 2013 | Full Review…

Kevin Thomas
Los Angeles Times
Director Damian Harris isn't able to capture the book's special charms, and resorts to having his young hero address the camera to keep the viewer in the picture.

March 26, 2009 | Full Review…

Variety Staff
Variety
The result is without dramatic or moral weight, despite Highway's contrived comeuppance, and it's impossible to care about the characters.

June 24, 2006 | Full Review…

Geoff Andrew
Time Out
Pryce gives one of the year's most refreshingly uninhibited performances as the boy's weird, postmodern hippie brother-in-law Norman. And Fletcher is a genuine star. His devilish precocity makes The Rachel Papers a bracing treat.

January 1, 2000 | Full Review…

Hal Hinson
Washington Post
Why must film-makers always be such slaves to the lowest common denominator?

November 8, 2013 | Rating: 2/5 | Full Review…

David Parkinson
Radio Times
Martin Amis's brilliantly acerbic first novel is unpersuasively filmed as a trendy teen comedy, with its self-loathing intellectual hero transformed into a nerdy-but-lovable computer geek.

November 8, 2013 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

TV Guide
Quote not available.

August 12, 2005 | Rating: 3/5

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Quote not available.

May 14, 2004 | Rating: 2/5

Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
As a coming of age story, this is much more fun than many contemporary 'teen comedies'.

May 24, 2003 | Full Review…

Film4

View All Critic Reviews (10)

Audience Reviews for The Rachel Papers

Sep 06, 2010

All except the main character are played by good actors, does that make sense? The story is realistic, but kinda boring, an the main character annoys me. Overall, it's okay.

Aj V Super Reviewer
Aug 14, 2008

This movie was funny,and also showed the truth that love hurts!

Cassie H Super Reviewer