Dear Reader: Update, Movie Review Intelligence will
continue publishing this website through June (more...)
Search a Movie:
MY SISTER'S KEEPERMovie Reviews
Drama about a couple who resort to unorthodox methods to save their young daughter's life, only to find their decision coming back to haunt them. Cast:Cameron Diaz, Abigail Breslin, Alec Baldwin, Jason PatricDirector:Nick CassavetesRelease Date:June 26, 2009DVD Release:November 17, 2009From:New LineRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 49 min
My Sister's Keeper played to moderate reviews. • Lisa Schwarzbaum wrote in Entertainment Weekly, "...does exactly what it's supposed to do... makes us feel luxuriously sad that, despite the love of attractive families and the best medical care, some kids get cancer." • And Deirdre Swain wrote in Toronto Now, "...you may feel that this is a Lifetime movie writ large." More Reviews Below...
My Sister's Keeper Positive Reviews (38 Reviews, reviews below)
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...does exactly what it's supposed to do... makes us feel luxuriously sad that, despite the love of attractive families and the best medical care, some kids get cancer."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 250 words, 07/03/09
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a shameless weepy, one of the most manipulative and fundamental of genres, but it also raises some surprisingly difficult and thought-provoking ethical questions."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 567 words, 06/25/09
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Diaz succeeds in a rare dramatic role, and Breslin impresses as a down-to-earth tween... But the book's fans should be warned, the ending's radically different."(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 148 words, 06/25/09
get our iPhone app... or get our mobile web app...
movie review intelligence
NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (11 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...takes on a very tough subject -- and has, in Anna and Kate, two pretty tough characters played by strong young actresses -- but ultimately it is too soft..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 929 words, 06/26/09
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...an effective tearjerker and if you think about it, it's something else. The movie never says so, but it's a practical parable about the debate between pro-choice and pro-life."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 779 words, 06/25/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "There is always a fine line between moving and manipulation in telling heartbreaking stories, and it is here that Cassavetes largely fails us."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 592 words, 06/26/09
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "I teared up exactly once watching 'My Sister's Keeper.' It was during the understated deathbed scene, which is utterly true to my own experiences in this area."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 442 words, 06/26/09
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "I'm sure its emotional intentions were honorable. But the harder this assault weapon went at my tear ducts, the more duct tape I wrapped around them..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 550 words, 06/26/09
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE(cg) "The many deaths here are moving but also sudden and off-screen, which is to say, conveniently romantic.... beautifully smooth and selectively highlighted."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 320 words, 06/26/09
James Adams, Toronto Globe & Mail: MODERATE(cg) "Less an exercise in catharsis than an obstacle course of premise-heavy, flashback-drenched plot points, it's an emotional flat-liner..."(See all of James Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 656 words, 06/26/09
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...to the degree that it represents a real aspect of human experience generally curtained out of sight, it is, in the language of movie people, a brave decision."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 232 words, 06/24/09
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: POOR(cg) "...the film turns soft where it needs to be hard, morally easily where it needs to be difficult, and simple where it needs to be complicated."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 748 words, 06/26/09
Randy Cordova, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the movie has some wrenching moments. The performances are mostly strong; Diaz, in particular, is quite effective as the brittle, intensely focused mother."(See all of Randy Cordova's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 453 words, 06/26/09
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Who'd have thought that the progeny of John Cassavetes - the raging, unruly indie auteur of the 1960s and '70s - would turn out to be such a sap?"(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 551 words, 06/26/09
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "If you respond - and there was plenty of discreet sobbing in the screening I attended - it's only because Sofia Vassilieva makes you care for her character..."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 06/26/09
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The family ties that bind are put to the test... With sensitivity and empathy, 'My Sister's Keeper' earns its status as a four-hanky weeper."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 562 words, 06/26/09
Clint O'Connor, Cleveland Plain-Dealer: EXCELLENT(cg) "...represents every parent's nightmare. When it comes to a sick child, how far will you push to save them... perhaps hardest of all, will you know when it's time to let go?"(See all of Clint O'Connor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 465 words, 06/26/09
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It's no insult to say that Diaz's performance is almost as strong as Breslin's, while Vassilieva is sorrowfully shorn of hair and spends much of the movie puking."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 342 words, 06/26/09
Steve Persall, St. Petersburg Times: FAIR(cg) "From its soundtrack of music to slash your wrists by, to a final reel cascade of incredibly mawkish turns, 'My Sister's Keeper' gives tearjerkers a bad name."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 516 words, 06/25/09
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "...if you know what you're heading into, you have nobody to blame but yourself when you emerge from the theater red-eyed and sniffling."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 478 words, 06/26/09
Robert W. Butler, Sacramento Bee: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...for many, just the premise of 'Sister's Keeper' will seem horribly manipulative. They cannot be blamed for approaching with caution."(See all of Robert W. Butler's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 792 words, 06/26/09
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun: MODERATE(cg) "...beautifully shot and skillfully acted, but the film, an earnest family-faces-cancer drama, is a bit like a real-world horror film with 'heart,' right down to the trick ending."(See all of Michael Sragow's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 635 words, 06/26/09
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post: OUTSTANDING(cg) "This is something altogether different: a powerfully intelligent weeper. The good -- and well-earned -- cry comes like a shower..."(See all of Lisa Kennedy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 655 words, 06/26/09
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...to the degree that it represents a real aspect of human experience generally curtained out of sight, it is, in the language of movie people, a brave decision."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 232 words, 06/24/09
Tom Meek, Boston Phoenix: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Nick Cassavetes ('The Notebook') gives competent direction and there's an eclectic cast... But cheap artifice debases every fine, moving moment."(See all of Tom Meek's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 145 words, 07/02/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...takes on a very tough subject -- and has, in Anna and Kate, two pretty tough characters played by strong young actresses -- but ultimately it is too soft..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 929 words, 06/26/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "...heartfelt and deeply affecting.... eloquent about the toll that grave illness can take on a family and the role that love can play in healing it."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 303 words, 06/26/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "There is always a fine line between moving and manipulation in telling heartbreaking stories, and it is here that Cassavetes largely fails us."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 592 words, 06/26/09
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "If you're going to make a weepy, there's no reason you can't make it with intelligence and insight as the makers of 'My Sister's Keeper' have done."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 759 words, 06/22/09
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: FAIR "There is always a fine line between moving and manipulation in telling heartbreaking stories, and it is here that Cassavetes largely fails us."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 592 words, 06/26/09
A.O. Scott, New York Times: MODERATE "...takes on a very tough subject -- and has, in Anna and Kate, two pretty tough characters played by strong young actresses -- but ultimately it is too soft..."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 929 words, 06/26/09
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "...heartfelt and deeply affecting.... eloquent about the toll that grave illness can take on a family and the role that love can play in healing it."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 303 words, 06/26/09
18.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
My Sister's Keeper's reviews are separated by an average 18.1 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.
My Sister's Keeper (38 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:My Sister's Keeper's reviews cover 72.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 18,466 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 486 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 23.2 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
My Sister's Keeper's reviews on average broke 23.2 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 My Sister's Keeper's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
My Sister's Keeper (38 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...
