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GOATSMovie Reviews
Comedy about a 15-year-old boy preparing to leave his luxurious Tucson home to attend an East Coast prep school. Cast:David Duchovny, Vera Farmiga, Graham Phillips, Ty Burrell, Keri Russell, Justin Kirk, Nicholas Lobue, Anthony AndersonDirector:Christopher NeilRelease Date:August 10, 2012DVD Release:September 11, 2012From:Image EntertainmentRating:RLength:1 hr 32 min
Goats played in limited release to weak reviews. • Robert Abele wrote in the Los Angeles Times, "...remarkably free of memorable comic situations, or emotional insight. Adolescence may be bruising, crazy or normal, but it's rarely this staid." • And Rob Nelson wrote in Daily Variety, "...monotonously deadpan... a bong hit short of a decent buzz." More Reviews Below...
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Mark Jude Poirier adapted the screenplay from his own lively 2001 coming-of-age novel.... reports the same events but loses the flavor of the journey."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 83 words, 08/10/12
James Rocchi, MSN Movies: WEAK(cg) "Duchovny tries manfully to get past his usual too-smooth ironic and urbane persona, but it's hard to not see Goat Man as just the actor with extra hair and a slumped air..."(See all of James Rocchi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 604 words, 08/08/12
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Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: POOR(cg) "Duchovny sleepwalks around, letting his laconic charm do all the work.... aside from a tangy musical score cowritten by Jason Schwartzman, 'Goats' is just b-a-a-a-aad."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 144 words, 08/10/12
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: POOR "...remarkably free of memorable comic situations, or emotional insight. Adolescence may be bruising, crazy or normal, but it's rarely this staid."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 217 words, 08/10/12
Sara Stewart, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "...the type of strummy-guitar-scored indie that's flypaper for quirky actors like Farmiga and Duchovny, who are given too much time to indulge their characters' back stories..."(See all of Sara Stewart's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 352 words, 08/10/12
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "Incapable of energizing Mark Poirier's leaden script, Neil directs with a mechanical blandness... made more tedious still by a score of gentle guitar strumming..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 202 words, 08/08/12
KEY CITIES (0 Reviews)
Goats has not been reviewed in Key Cities
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (4 Reviews)
Nick Schager, Village Voice/LA Weekly: POOR "Incapable of energizing Mark Poirier's leaden script, Neil directs with a mechanical blandness... made more tedious still by a score of gentle guitar strumming..."(See all of Nick Schager's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 202 words, 08/08/12
Alison Willmore, AV Club: MODERATE(cg) " 'Goats' ' solid cast can't make the film feel like anything more than a meander through the familiar-feeling angst of a privileged teenager.... amiably half-hearted..."(See all of Alison Willmore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 384 words, 08/09/12
Kalvin Henely, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...a bland coming-of-age story with some pretty cinematography but little pulse.... as a film it's too superficial and uneventful to sustain much interest."(See all of Kalvin Henely's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 478 words, 08/09/12
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: POOR "...remarkably free of memorable comic situations, or emotional insight. Adolescence may be bruising, crazy or normal, but it's rarely this staid."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 217 words, 08/10/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (4 Reviews)
Rob Nelson, Daily Variety: FAIR "...monotonously deadpan... The overall vibe of first-time director Christopher Neil is certainly mellow, but his movie is still a bong hit short of a decent buzz."(See all of Rob Nelson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 423 words, 01/26/12
Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter: FAIR "A coming-of-age story without any clear epiphany... meanders rather aimlessly through 92 minutes of running time much like its titular ruminants..."(See all of Justin Lowe's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 439 words, 01/25/12
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: POOR "...remarkably free of memorable comic situations, or emotional insight. Adolescence may be bruising, crazy or normal, but it's rarely this staid."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 217 words, 08/10/12
17.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Goats's reviews are separated by an average 17.7 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.
Coverage:Goats's reviews cover 20.2% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 3,955 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 330 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 10 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Goats's reviews on average broke 10 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 Goats's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
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