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AMERICAN VIOLETMovie Reviews
Drama based on real events about a 24 year-old African-American single mother of four who is wrongfully swept up in a drug raid. Cast:Nicole Beharie, Tim Blake Nelson, Will Patton, Michael O'Keefe, Xzibit, Charles S. DuttonDirector:Tim DisneyRelease Date:April 17, 2009DVD Release:October 13, 2009From:Samuel GoldwynRating:PG-13Length:1 hr. 43 min.
American Violet played in key cities to good reviews. • Jason O'Bryan wrote in the Boston Phoenix, "...succeeds on the strength of its excellent performances..." • And David Edelstein wrote in New York Magazine, "If you’re in the mood for a liberal message movie in which the only surprise is no surprise, 'American Violet' is the ticket. I was and liked it pretty well." More Reviews Below...
American Violet Positive Reviews (22 Reviews, reviews below)
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...an instructive, sturdily built drama.... Here's a case of activist screenwriting where didacticism in the defense of justice is no vice."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 92 words, 04/17/09
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (10 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...beautifully acted by Nicole Beharie, whose high-strung character is no angel. It is almost impossible for Dee to control her anger, justifiable though it may be."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 716 words, 04/17/09
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The film's power comes less from the earnest script than the riveting presence of Nicole Beharie, making a remarkable debut as Dee Roberts..."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 135 words, 04/17/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "Tim Disney's direction and the screenplay by Bill Haney are meat and potatoes, making this story clear, direct and righteous."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 829 words, 04/16/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: GOOD "...a classic David versus Goliath story... The narrative is infused with chilling facts, and the filmmakers know how to build their case, but a drama demands more."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 579 words, 04/17/09
Kyle Smith, New York Post: POOR(cg) "The rights of innocent blacks get a trampling courtesy of vicious redneck white cops in the plodding drama 'American Violet.' "(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 126 words, 04/17/09
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "If you're in the mood for a liberal message movie in which the only surprise is no surprise, 'American Violet' is the ticket. I was and liked it pretty well."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 128 words, 04/13/09
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a harrowing drama about a real-life case.... Nobody needs to be force-fed here. How much will you want to see Dee win? So much, you can taste it."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 576 words, 04/17/09
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Part courtroom drama, part 'Erin Brokovich,' part Kafka... broadcasts the righteous anger and slow-building emotional crescendi of a well-acted movie on a mission..."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 541 words, 05/01/09
Jonathan Curiel, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "Pundits have debated whether Obama's election means we're in a post-racial society... looking at a corner of southeast Texas, the truth is complicated."(See all of Jonathan Curiel's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 502 words, 05/01/09
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "...might not be subtle, but it's certainly powerful.... director Tim Disney's film will provoke gut-churning feelings of shock and disbelief. And that's the idea."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 436 words, 05/01/09
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...a pat social drama about the scourges of racism and classism in the Texas legal system.... feels less like life and unreasonably more like the movies."(See all of Wesley Morris's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 542 words, 05/01/09
Jason O'Bryan, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...succeeds on the strength of its excellent performances... As an indictment of racism and injustice, however, the movie falls short..."(See all of Jason O'Bryan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 133 words, 04/30/09
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...beautifully acted by Nicole Beharie, whose high-strung character is no angel. It is almost impossible for Dee to control her anger, justifiable though it may be."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 716 words, 04/17/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...mostly predictable... The story raises more issues than the script manages to dramatize... [but] Tim Disney has great success directing a fine cast..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 313 words, 04/17/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...a classic David versus Goliath story... The narrative is infused with chilling facts, and the filmmakers know how to build their case, but a drama demands more."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 579 words, 04/17/09
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Todd McCarthy, Daily Variety: GOOD "Earnestly presented and well acted... shares with many other such agenda-driven dramas a complete lack of narrative surprise, merely connecting the dots..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 791 words, 09/03/08
Sura Wood, Hollywood Reporter: POOR "...its simplistic, heavy handed treatment of a complex issue gives it the weight of a contrived movie of the week melodrama."(See all of Sura Wood's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 431 words, 10/23/08
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...a classic David versus Goliath story... The narrative is infused with chilling facts, and the filmmakers know how to build their case, but a drama demands more."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 579 words, 04/17/09
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...beautifully acted by Nicole Beharie, whose high-strung character is no angel. It is almost impossible for Dee to control her anger, justifiable though it may be."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 716 words, 04/17/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...mostly predictable... The story raises more issues than the script manages to dramatize... [but] Tim Disney has great success directing a fine cast..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 313 words, 04/17/09
16.6 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
American Violet's reviews are separated by an average 16.6 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
American Violet (22 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:American Violet's reviews cover 30.9% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 8,428 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 383 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
American Violet Coverage, Volume & Length (22 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 54.4 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
American Violet's reviews on average broke 54.4 hours after opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is American Violet's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
American Violet (22 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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