Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will
continue publishing this website through June (more...)
Search a Movie:
FIREFLIES IN THE GARDENMovie Reviews
Drama about a seemingly perfect family whose far more nuanced reality comes to light following a serious accident. Cast:Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily WatsonDirector:Dennis LeeRelease Date:October 14, 2011DVD Release:February 7, 2012From:Senator EntertainmentRating:RLength:1 hr 38 min
Fireflies in the Garden played in limited release to weak reviews. • Bradley Jacobs wrote in Us Weekly, "Even a stellar cast can't save this melodramatic mess.... It's torturously solemn and has too many confusing flashbacks." • And Ella Taylor wrote for NPR, "A fatally downbeat chamber piece about a crumbling Midwestern clan, written and directed by newcomer Dennis Lee..." More Reviews Below...
Fireflies in the Garden Positive Reviews (16 Reviews, reviews below)
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "...the resentments acted out at the dining table by this miserable family are so oppressive that Eugene O'Neill might ask, 'Too much?' "(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 88 words, 10/21/11
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: MODERATE(cg) "...a fraught family drama... although fireflies are exemplary embodiments of transitory life and are often evoked by writers, I am never sure what they represent."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 549 words, 10/14/11
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 (7 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: FAIR "...has appealing actors you want to spend time with... Mr. Lee gathers together a lifetime of hurt without conveying that there's something personal at stake."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 586 words, 10/14/11
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "Roberts and Dafoe walk through with a willed stateliness and professionalism... The rest of the cast isn't as lucky. Forget the shelf - can they bury this one in the garden?"(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 310 words, 10/14/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...a story of a deeply dysfunctional family suddenly fraying even faster at the seams. Unfortunately there is as much fraying being done by the film itself..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 669 words, 10/14/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: MODERATE(cg) "...a fraught family drama... although fireflies are exemplary embodiments of transitory life and are often evoked by writers, I am never sure what they represent."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 549 words, 10/14/11
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "Despite an A-list roster, the performances are universally one-note, a fact largely attributable to a script overflowing with blunt dialogue and heavy-handed symbolism."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 198 words, 10/12/11
KEY CITIES (2 Reviews)
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...offers a very strong cast, and some striking images courtesy of Julia Roberts' husband, cinematographer Danny Moder.... a few scenes are painfully moving."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 517 words, 10/14/11
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...by any measure a serious and considered picture.... The relationships are lived-in and complex, with the same hopelessness that we find in real life."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 373 words, 10/14/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (3 Reviews)
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "Despite an A-list roster, the performances are universally one-note, a fact largely attributable to a script overflowing with blunt dialogue and heavy-handed symbolism."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 198 words, 10/12/11
Alison Willmore, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a middling effort.... An ending that suggests reconciliation and forgiveness isn't just unearned, it's bewildering, given the wretched behavior we've seen..."(See all of Alison Willmore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 408 words, 10/13/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: FAIR "...has appealing actors you want to spend time with... Mr. Lee gathers together a lifetime of hurt without conveying that there's something personal at stake."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 586 words, 10/14/11
Ella Taylor, NPR: FAIR "A fatally downbeat chamber piece about a crumbling Midwestern clan, written and directed by newcomer Dennis Lee and loosely drawn from his own home life..."(See all of Ella Taylor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 697 words, 10/13/11
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...a story of a deeply dysfunctional family suddenly fraying even faster at the seams. Unfortunately there is as much fraying being done by the film itself..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 669 words, 10/14/11
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Alissa Simon, Daily Variety: WEAK "Dennis Lee's semi-autobiographical script fails to sustain any tone convincingly. Dialogue lacks wit, relying overmuch on vernacular and the F-word."(See all of Alissa Simon's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 660 words, 02/11/08
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: WEAK "Kids, parents, siblings, an aunt and an estranged wife all bicker and yell, but the noise cancels itself out. The movie is one long argument, tiresome and repetitive..."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 625 words, 02/13/08
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: WEAK "...a story of a deeply dysfunctional family suddenly fraying even faster at the seams. Unfortunately there is as much fraying being done by the film itself..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 669 words, 10/14/11
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: FAIR "...has appealing actors you want to spend time with... Mr. Lee gathers together a lifetime of hurt without conveying that there's something personal at stake."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 586 words, 10/14/11
20.4 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Fireflies in the Garden's reviews are separated by an average 20.4 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.
Fireflies in the Garden (16 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Fireflies in the Garden's reviews cover 43.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 6,155 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 385 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Fireflies in the Garden Coverage, Volume & Length (16 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 27 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Fireflies in the Garden's reviews on average broke 27 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 Fireflies in the Garden's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Fireflies in the Garden (16 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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...
