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PEOPLE LIKE US (2012)Movie Reviews
Drama comedy about a young man who must fulfill his deceased father's wish to find the half-sister he never knew he had. Cast:Chris Pine, Elizabeth Banks, Michael Hall D'Addario, Michelle Pfeiffer, Olivia Wilde, Mark DuplassDirector:Alex KurtzmanRelease Date:June 29, 2012DVD Release:October 2, 2012From:DreamworksRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 55 min
People Like Us (2012) played to good not great reviews. • Moira Macdonald wrote in the Seattle Times, "...about how people deal with their families... It's not an entirely fresh idea but always an intriguing one... there's an appealing real-life quality to these characters..." • And John Beifuss called the film in the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, "...sudsy yet earnest..." More Reviews Below...
People Like Us (2012) Positive Reviews (46 Reviews, reviews below)
Alynda Wheat, People: MODERATE(cg) "Even with a strong cast, including Michelle Pfeiffer as Sam's complex mom, Lillian, 'People Like Us' is ultimately a dishonest movie about dishonest people."(See all of Alynda Wheat's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 94 words, 06/28/12
Mary Pols, Time: GOOD "...one of two newly acquainted half siblings, the more sympathetic one, will make a pass at the other and be rebuffed. It's hideously compelling..."(See all of Mary Pols's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,005 words, 06/28/12
Jake Coyle, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...works best in its moments of humor amid the soapy plot: the discovery and awakening of a sibling relationship, forged as much over tacos as through blood."(See all of Jake Coyle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 693 words, 06/28/12
Mara Reinstein, Us Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "A first-rate cast and script elevate this Lifetime-like drama.... Chris Pine and Elizabeth Banks, along with Michelle Pfeiffer as Sam's brittle mom, sell it."(See all of Mara Reinstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 136 words, 06/28/12
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...demonstrates how a drama can be heartfelt and bogus at the same time... The movie's central situation is all too plausible."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 187 words, 06/29/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Alex Kurtzman directs with such energy and passion you keep hoping the film won't sink into melodramatic quicksand. It does."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 197 words, 06/22/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: MODERATE(cg) "...the movie's soap opera quality undermines its efforts to tell a family saga with much believability.... it doesn't actually resemble the behavior of real human beings."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 467 words, 06/29/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...well-intentioned... paints engaging portraits of its characters, who feel close enough to plausible people -- so close that the delayed secret undermines them."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 602 words, 06/29/12
James Rocchi, MSN Movies: VERY GOOD(cg) "...succeeds admirably as a well-tuned family drama supported by great, strong performances... has the major plus of having its heart in the right place."(See all of James Rocchi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 655 words, 06/27/12
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Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...you either want to hit Sam or help him out. Which means the film is doing something half-right.... its hard sell wears you down and draws you in..."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 473 words, 06/29/12
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times/Chicago Tribune: MODERATE "Kurtzman hammers every scene and eye blink with a heavy hand... his technique behind the camera has the effect of crowding the performers."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 557 words, 06/29/12
Kyle Smith, New York Post: WEAK(cg) " 'Whatever you think is important, isn't; whatever you think isn't important, is.' It's obvious that the writers think this film is important."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 555 words, 06/29/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: MODERATE(cg) "Surely a heartwarming family drama could double as a love story without resorting to borderline incest, but that's the weird solution 'People Like Us' has hit upon."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 303 words, 06/29/12
Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...contains one of the year's better performances, so don't worry if you find yourself occasionally tearing up despite all the stupidity on display."(See all of Bilge Ebiri's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 736 words, 06/29/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...well-intentioned... paints engaging portraits of its characters, who feel close enough to plausible people -- so close that the delayed secret undermines them."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 602 words, 06/29/12
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...a certifiable adult drama... Kurtzman and Orci deserve credit for defying cliché, instead creating a movie that's overcast with incestuous dramatic irony."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 243 words, 06/27/12
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: WEAK(cg) "...a prime example of that most bogus of movie, the kind that could be classified under the generic heading, 'Just Tell Her, Already.' "(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 612 words, 06/29/12
Liam Lacey, Toronto Globe & Mail: POOR(cg) "This is the sort of movie that ends up awash in sincere revelations, and not a moment of it feels remotely believable."(See all of Liam Lacey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 574 words, 06/29/12
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Sure, it's a bit soapy... but 'People Like Us' has a powerful emotional through-line and a cast of great actors who make the most of it."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 334 words, 06/28/12
KEY CITIES (12 Reviews)
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the movie wouldn't be able to crack open at all if there weren't tiny fissures in it from the beginning.... it's the flaws that Kurtzman builds that make it interesting."(See all of Michael O'Sullivan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 603 words, 06/29/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...takes a turn toward hopeless soap: soul-baring confessions, a truly excruciating cornball ending. These people really aren't like us, after all."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 550 words, 06/29/12
John Beifuss, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...sudsy yet earnest... too contrived to be convincing, despite a wonderful performance by Elizabeth Banks..."(See all of John Beifuss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 435 words, 06/29/12
Barbara VanDenburgh, Arizona Republic: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a melodrama on a mission to teach its cast of broken characters about what's really important in life. It's a soapy, predictable ride... mostly sweet."(See all of Barbara VanDenburgh's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 562 words, 06/29/12
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...the actors do better during the first half, before the overlong confessional monologues kick in and the filmmakers start saying what they should be showing."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 620 words, 06/29/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: MODERATE(cg) "Pine is handsome. And Banks is a good actress. But 'People Like Us' is, at best, a harmless waste of their time, and ours."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 533 words, 06/29/12
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle: POOR(cg) "...tiny, airless and claustrophobic... watching Pine go through the motions of Lying Dingbat Procrastination - no matter how soulfully he does it - is a torturous thing..."(See all of Amy Biancolli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 344 words, 06/29/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...about how people deal with their families... It's not an entirely fresh idea but always an intriguing one... there's an appealing real-life quality to these characters..."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 404 words, 06/29/12
Mike Russell, Portland Oregonian: GOOD(cg) "Kurtzman takes his real experience of meeting his half-siblings late in life and adapts it into a comedy-drama that evokes Cameron Crowe right down to the soundtrack."(See all of Mike Russell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 285 words, 06/29/12
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: MODERATE(cg) "Pine and the always-watchable Banks make the best of a bad screenplay... 'People Like Us' gives us nothing that we can relate to."(See all of Joe Williams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 06/29/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: GOOD(cg) "Elizabeth Banks -- playing an abandoned child who's struggling not to give up on life -- brings real tenderness and courage to Frankie, and to the film."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 293 words, 06/29/12
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD "...a certifiable adult drama... Kurtzman and Orci deserve credit for defying cliché, instead creating a movie that's overcast with incestuous dramatic irony."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 243 words, 06/27/12
Eric Eisenberg, Cinema Blend: EXCELLENT(cg) "...works hard to earn its emotional depth and thanks to a compelling story, well-drawn characters, and terrific performances it succeeds."(See all of Eric Eisenberg's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 718 words, 06/27/12
Keith Phipps, AV Club: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...does have its charms, but getting to them means seeing past a Buick-sized contrivance.... it's to Pine and Banks' credit that they almost make it work."(See all of Keith Phipps's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 502 words, 06/28/12
Cynthia Fuchs, Pop Matters: WEAK(cg) "...the fundamental plotline here is the same as for the comic book movies or the Apatow clones: a boy needs to sort out his identity."(See all of Cynthia Fuchs's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 874 words, 06/28/12
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Sure, it's a bit soapy... but 'People Like Us' has a powerful emotional through-line and a cast of great actors who make the most of it."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 334 words, 06/28/12
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: WEAK(cg) "For no good reason, 'People Like Us' closely emulates the tone and structure of romantic comedies based on some kind of deception. It feels like a waste..."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 292 words, 06/28/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "...a surfeit of implausible plot... the movie allows the audience to get ahead of the story and to stay there as events laboriously unfold."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 330 words, 06/29/12
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "Kurtzman hammers every scene and eye blink with a heavy hand... his technique behind the camera has the effect of crowding the performers."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 557 words, 06/29/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the story of two siblings' responses to their father's death... well-intended but faintly exasperating melo-dramedy... offers a fine-grained portrait of L.A. living."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 751 words, 06/11/12
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD "...overcranked... has a persuasive emotional pull at its heart... Kurtzman knows where the emotional truth lies in this quasi-autobiographical material and is able to deliver it..."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 972 words, 06/11/12
Michael Phillips, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "Kurtzman hammers every scene and eye blink with a heavy hand... his technique behind the camera has the effect of crowding the performers."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 557 words, 06/29/12
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: FAIR "...a surfeit of implausible plot... the movie allows the audience to get ahead of the story and to stay there as events laboriously unfold."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 330 words, 06/29/12
17.5 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
People Like Us (2012)'s reviews are separated by an average 17.5 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.
People Like Us (2012) (46 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:People Like Us (2012)'s reviews cover 93.0% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 23,760 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 516 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
People Like Us (2012) Coverage, Volume & Length (46 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 28.4 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
People Like Us (2012)'s reviews on average broke 28.4 hours 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 People Like Us (2012)'s opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
People Like Us (2012) (46 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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