Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will
continue publishing this website through June (more...)
Search a Movie:
FAIRHAVENMovie Reviews
Drama comedy about a former high-school football star who returns to his Massachusetts hometown, where he reunites with old friends and faces his feelings of dissatisfaction. Cast:Sarah Paulson, Chris Messina, Rich Sommer, Alexie Gilmore, Natalie Gold, Maryann Plunkett, Tom O'Brien, Georgia Lyman, Phyllis Kay, Paul O'Brien, Danielle Muehlen, Ted Reinstein, Tim Haber, Alicia Racine, Grace CollinsDirector:Tom O'BrienRelease Date:January 11, 2013DVD Release: TBD From:UnknownLength:1 hr 21 min
Fairhaven played in limited release to very good reviews. Reviews were mixed. • Joe Neumaier wrote in the New York Daily News, "...unassuming, confident... Tom O'Brien allows a shaggy disaffection to slide through his movie that becomes pleasantly infectious... it has a rumpled comfort..." More Reviews Below...
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...nuanced... personal tenderness combines with a good sense of composition and a naturalistic storytelling style to give a small, familiar premise a nice lilt."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 220 words, 01/18/13
we have an app for when you're out and about
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (5 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "There isn't a dishonest moment... piercing, wistful... a beautifully acted, directed and edited little slice of New England life..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 555 words, 01/11/13
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...unassuming, confident... Tom O'Brien allows a shaggy disaffection to slide through his movie that becomes pleasantly infectious... it has a rumpled comfort..."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 297 words, 01/11/13
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "Tom O'Brien provided the lethargic direction and collaborated with Chris Messina on the cliché-infested script, which is long on booze-filled confessions."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 123 words, 01/11/13
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "Indies don't come blander... Chris Messina's performance has a lived-in, emotional messiness, but the film is nothing but clichés... enervating..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 175 words, 01/09/13
KEY CITIES (1 Review)
Tom Russo, Boston Globe: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...slender... Tom O'Brien and his castmates seem to play loose with his script a bit more than they should in an effort to give the material a lived-in feeling..."(See all of Tom Russo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 462 words, 01/11/13
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "Indies don't come blander... Chris Messina's performance has a lived-in, emotional messiness, but the film is nothing but clichés... enervating..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 175 words, 01/09/13
Noel Murray, AV Club: FAIR(cg) "...naturalistic... [but] it devolves into a string of scenes where people shout at each other about their feelings.... Its actors are terrific. All of them beg for something better."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 367 words, 01/10/13
Nick McCarthy, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...plays coy with its quintessential indie-dramedy setup, eschewing narrative and tension in favor of convivial character interplay and master shots of wintry landscapes."(See all of Nick McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 450 words, 01/09/13
HIGHBROW PRESS (1 Review)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "There isn't a dishonest moment... piercing, wistful... a beautifully acted, directed and edited little slice of New England life..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 555 words, 01/11/13
MOVIE INDUSTRY (3 Reviews)
Joe Leydon, Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...lowkey... less a satisfying piece of work than a promising indication of better things to come from several individuals involved."(See all of Joe Leydon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 441 words, 01/10/13
David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "...warmly satisfying.... Observed with emotional integrity and a sharp eye for both the comforting and claustrophobic details of hometown life... intimate, heartfelt..."(See all of David Rooney's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 629 words, 06/19/12
Stephen Holden, New York Times: OUTSTANDING "There isn't a dishonest moment... piercing, wistful... a beautifully acted, directed and edited little slice of New England life..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 555 words, 01/11/13
23.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Fairhaven's reviews are separated by an average 23.7 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.
Fairhaven (11 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Fairhaven's reviews cover 16.6% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 3,894 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 354 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 4 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Fairhaven's reviews on average broke 4 days before 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 Fairhaven's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Mobile Web App version 1.2 shows a list of all current movies and review information. You can click through to the cast, director, synopsis, release date and rating on page two, plus individual reviews on page three. The information is updated on a live/real-time basis. You can also search our database of films. Designed for when you're on the move and want the latest info, this app will work on any mobile web browser. From your mobile device -- only from a mobile device -- open our Mobile Web App here...
