Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will discontinue
publishing this website at the end of May (more...)
Search a Movie:
JANIE JONESMovie Reviews
Drama about a hard-living musician whose comeback tour is interrupted by the arrival of a 13-year-old daughter he didn't know existed. Cast:Abigail Breslin, Alessandro Nivola, Elisabeth Shue, Peter StormareDirector:David M. RosenthalRelease Date:October 28, 2011DVD Release:January 31, 2012From:Independent PicturesLength:1 hr. 47 min.
Janie Jones played in limited release to good not great reviews. • Ian Buckwalter wrote for NPR, "...once it's reduced to a two-hander for Alessandro Nivola and Abigail Breslin, it has a lightweight sweetness, owing largely to their chemistry." • And Joe Neumaier wrote in the New York Daily News, "...writer-director David M. Rosenthal fills this dewy road-trip movie with too many cliches." More Reviews Below...
Janie Jones Positive Reviews (18 Reviews, reviews below)
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (6 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD "...rides on the impeccably detailed performances of its stars, the brilliant but perennially overlooked Alessandro Nivola ('Junebug,' 'Laurel Canyon') and Abigail Breslin..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 560 words, 10/28/11
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "Breslin knows which notes to hit, and does wryly plaintive better than actresses twice her age... But David M. Rosenthal fills this dewy road-trip movie with too many cliches."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 129 words, 10/28/11
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...serviceable... conveys a certain kind of brittle, hotheaded flameout with remnants of musical soulfulness... a mixture of discordant notes and way-too-familiar chords."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 257 words, 11/04/11
Kyle Smith, New York Post: POOR(cg) "...billed as 'inspired by the true story' of its writer-director, David M. Rosenthal. Impossible. No one's life is this boring."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 195 words, 10/28/11
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "There are no surprises in David M. Rosenthal's film, which tries to toughen up the standard, soggy damaged-parent-child healing arc with rank signifiers..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 194 words, 10/26/11
KEY CITIES (3 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Nivola and Breslin make a terrific mismatched pair in a film that often resembles a mash-up of 'Crazy Heart' and Sofia Coppola's 'Somewhere'..."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 336 words, 11/04/11
Tom Russo, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...you get the sense that David M. Rosenthal is not so much showcasing complexity as dialing up whatever tone conveniently moves his story from point A to B to C."(See all of Tom Russo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 505 words, 11/11/11
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the story plays out with genuine sweetness, both in the drama and the songs... any young actress looking for a master class would do well to study Breslin here..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 286 words, 10/28/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "There are no surprises in David M. Rosenthal's film, which tries to toughen up the standard, soggy damaged-parent-child healing arc with rank signifiers..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 194 words, 10/26/11
Noel Murray, AV Club: GOOD(cg) "...frequently suffers from a disconnect between its style and its script.... Contrivances aside, though, it is one of the more realistic depictions of what the rock 'n' roll lifestyle is really like."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 412 words, 10/27/11
Kenji Fujishima, Slant: MODERATE(cg) "...at least it's generous and warmhearted enough to be reasonably inoffensive. Oh, and the songs aren't too bad, either: bland but pleasant, much like the film itself."(See all of Kenji Fujishima's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 488 words, 04/21/11
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD "...rides on the impeccably detailed performances of its stars, the brilliant but perennially overlooked Alessandro Nivola ('Junebug,' 'Laurel Canyon') and Abigail Breslin..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 560 words, 10/28/11
Ian Buckwalter, NPR: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...once it's reduced to a two-hander for Alessandro Nivola and Abigail Breslin, it has a lightweight sweetness, owing largely to their chemistry."(See all of Ian Buckwalter's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 656 words, 10/27/11
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...serviceable... conveys a certain kind of brittle, hotheaded flameout with remnants of musical soulfulness... a mixture of discordant notes and way-too-familiar chords."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 257 words, 11/04/11
Dennis Harvey, Daily Variety: MODERATE "A sort of cross between 'Crazy Heart' and 'Paper Moon'... If it finally achieves a modicum of poignancy, the impact surely would have been greater if the whole felt fresher."(See all of Dennis Harvey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 767 words, 09/16/10
Ray Bennett, Hollywood Reporter: FAIR "An earnest tale about a faded rock star who discovers he has a teenaged daughter... follows a predictable path and despite decent performances it does not catch fire."(See all of Ray Bennett's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 390 words, 10/18/11
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "...serviceable... conveys a certain kind of brittle, hotheaded flameout with remnants of musical soulfulness... a mixture of discordant notes and way-too-familiar chords."(See all of Robert Abele's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 257 words, 11/04/11
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: GOOD(cg) "Writer/director David M. Rosenthal blends the musical setting with road trip movie elements in pleasant and watchable, if not particularly original or subtle ways..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 332 words, 09/26/11
Stephen Holden, New York Times: GOOD "...rides on the impeccably detailed performances of its stars, the brilliant but perennially overlooked Alessandro Nivola ('Junebug,' 'Laurel Canyon') and Abigail Breslin..."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 560 words, 10/28/11
15.3 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Janie Jones's reviews are separated by an average 15.3 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.
Janie Jones (18 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Janie Jones's reviews cover 24.8% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 6,562 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 365 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Janie Jones Coverage, Volume & Length (18 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 7 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Janie Jones's reviews on average broke 7 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 Janie Jones's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Janie Jones (18 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...
