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RABBIT HOLEMovie Reviews
Drama about a couple contending with the recent accidental death of their only child, a 4 year-old boy. Cast:Nicole Kidman, Aaron Eckhart, Sandra Oh, Dianne Wiest, Tammy BlanchardDirector:John Cameron MitchellRelease Date:December 17, 2010DVD Release:April 19, 2011From:LionsgateRating:PG-13Length:1 hr 31 min
Rabbit Hole played in key cities to very good reviews. • Ty Burr wrote in the Boston Globe, "Kidman simply goes above and beyond.... this is a subtle, bone-deep performance, attuned to impatience and rage, gallows humor and the eeriest sort of quiet." • And Patrick Z. McGavin wrote for Cinema 24/7, "...bruising and affecting... Kidman and Eckhart turn out superb work..." More Reviews Below...
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "...suffocatingly sad... you still can never shake the sensation that you're watching a play on film. That draws attention to the structured theatricality of the work..."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 667 words, 12/16/10
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: MODERATE(cg) "...oppressively bleak... A taut-faced Kidman courts Oscar with her obvious arc... Actors love these meaty roles; viewers, less so."(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 79 words, 12/16/10
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it carves shrewd and lively dramatic arcs out of souls who are too damaged to feel their own feelings.... Nicole Kidman's most on-fire acting in years."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 554 words, 12/10/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Nicole Kidman is just astonishing... a movie that uses humor as a kind of healing.... haunting and hypnotic... It takes a piece out of you."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 253 words, 12/10/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a finely tuned portrait of grief that takes its time unfolding, much like the actual process of mourning. Nicole Kidman does some of her best, most nuanced work..."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 549 words, 12/17/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The film is in a better state of mind than its characters.... It is simple enough to cover the events in the story, not so simple to modulate them for humor and even warmth."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 567 words, 12/23/10
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Uncompromising, painful, and at times difficult to watch... lays bare more than a few raw nerves. Some viewers will find it too real, too immediate."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 956 words, 12/22/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...it never quite manages to inspire the deep, resonant empathy these stricken parents -- and, more to the point, we in the audience -- so desperately need."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 998 words, 12/17/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the questions of how we work through grief and go about reconnecting with life are unquestionably valid ones, but an air of genteel familiarity stifles their impact here."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 505 words, 12/17/10
Kyle Smith, New York Post: WEAK(cg) "...reeks with a seedy, exploitative quality... It contains no poetry. It simply conjures up a horrible feeling -- and then sits back awaiting congratulation."(See all of Kyle Smith's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 593 words, 12/17/10
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "Kidman's capable of real strength, real emotion and real surprise, and Eckhart finds the ideal mixture of fear and anger in his big scenes. Fierce and intuitive..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 557 words, 12/24/10
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: OUTSTANDING "...very fine.... depicts a universe in which nothing makes sense, nothing fits, in which our best consolation is the dream of a world on the other side of a black hole..."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 874 words, 01/03/11
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The film is in a better state of mind than its characters.... It is simple enough to cover the events in the story, not so simple to modulate them for humor and even warmth."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 567 words, 12/23/10
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...a sledgehammer of plot and score.... the proceedings are so lifeless that you find yourself rooting for the narrative to fully tread into the disaster zones with which it flirts."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 591 words, 12/15/10
Peter Howell, Toronto Star: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a perceptive and sympathetic film... It's an outstanding performance by Kidman, who fully opens her heart to a role that plainly speaks to her deepest fears."(See all of Peter Howell's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 604 words, 12/17/10
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Kidman and Eckhart are sensational... she guarded, purging the house of reminders of her son, he obsessed with old family videos, working to preserve his memories."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 156 words, 12/16/10
KEY CITIES (14 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "How do you recover from the death of a child?... eloquently posits the only correct answer to that question: You don't.... lucid, tough, deeply sensitive..."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 407 words, 12/25/10
Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: VERY GOOD(cg) "Wrenching, poignant, and quietly healing... Employing minimalist means for maximum emotional impact, Kidman and Eckhart are superlative."(See all of Carrie Rickey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 347 words, 12/24/10
Mick LaSalle, Houston Chronicle/San Francisco Chronicle: MODERATE(cg) "...by turns heartrending and stultifying, but mostly stultifying. Partly, this is a natural consequence of the movie's atmosphere."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 739 words, 01/14/11
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Nicole Kidman in a surprisingly full-blooded, brittle and fuming performance... she sparkles in scene after withering scene..."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 584 words, 12/31/10
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...covers rocky emotional terrain with bracing honesty... Tense and mournful as it is, the film also has moments of wild hilarity and a sense of hope."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 625 words, 12/24/10
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...when grief is portrayed well, it creates its own impact: a rupture, a jagged rip in the fabric between life before and life after, which can never be the same."(See all of Chris Vognar's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 457 words, 12/24/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Kidman simply goes above and beyond.... this is a subtle, bone-deep performance, attuned to impatience and rage, gallows humor and the eeriest sort of quiet."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 766 words, 12/24/10
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...expertly adapted by David Lindsay-Abaire from his Pulitzer Prize-winning play... there's much more to it than misery: wit, wisdom, and a lovely, low-key ending."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 493 words, 12/24/10
Tom Long, Detroit News: VERY GOOD(cg) "...as heavy, stressful, relentlessly sad dramas go, this one goes quite well.... a very well-made film about a thoroughly terrible subject..."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 328 words, 01/14/11
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "Mitchell keeps the visuals simple and the tone quiet, sneaking unexpected humor into a seemingly humorless situation, and allowing his cast to carry the show."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 671 words, 01/14/11
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (8 Reviews)
Karina Longworth, Village Voice/LA Weekly: WEAK "...a sledgehammer of plot and score.... the proceedings are so lifeless that you find yourself rooting for the narrative to fully tread into the disaster zones with which it flirts."(See all of Karina Longworth's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 591 words, 12/15/10
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: VERY GOOD(cg) "...bears its theatrical roots in mostly good ways... a little more neat and contained than a movie ought to be, the performances almost entirely make up for it."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 587 words, 09/14/10
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: MODERATE(cg) "...breaking from the mold is Dianne Wiest as Becca's dim but dogged mother. Her performance suggests that in a parallel universe this might be a much better movie."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 165 words, 12/23/10
Keith Phipps, AV Club: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...plainness serves it, keeping the focus on the exceptional performances and the way grief keeps breaking through into everyday life at unexpected moments."(See all of Keith Phipps's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 398 words, 12/16/10
Jesse Cataldo, Slant: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...may be perfect for awards season, poised to rack up accolades and wrench tears from willing audiences, but it's bad for much beyond that.... it is film as medicine..."(See all of Jesse Cataldo's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 473 words, 12/14/10
Susan G. Cole, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Kidman and Eckhart are sensational... she guarded, purging the house of reminders of her son, he obsessed with old family videos, working to preserve his memories."(See all of Susan G. Cole's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 156 words, 12/16/10
Curt Holman, Atlanta Creative Loafing: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an intellectual glimpse of the mourning process.... emphasizes the quiet epiphanies experienced by ordinary people."(See all of Curt Holman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 398 words, 12/22/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (4 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "Nicole Kidman's beautiful performance transcends the specifics of the script... the most affecting moments are the oblique ones..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 308 words, 12/17/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...it never quite manages to inspire the deep, resonant empathy these stricken parents -- and, more to the point, we in the audience -- so desperately need."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 998 words, 12/17/10
Anthony Lane, New Yorker: VERY GOOD "...you approach 'Rabbit Hole' with a heavy heart and leave with a lighter one.... Mitchell refuses to tread the path laid out by dozens of TV movies on a similar theme."(See all of Anthony Lane's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 399 words, 12/27/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the questions of how we work through grief and go about reconnecting with life are unquestionably valid ones, but an air of genteel familiarity stifles their impact here."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 505 words, 12/17/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "Grief may be the topic under examination, but humor -- incisive, observant and warm -- is the tool with which it's dissected... refreshingly positive-minded..."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 863 words, 09/14/10
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart deliver performances that are like raw wounds... The film does achieve moments of catharsis, but it can be heavy going."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 680 words, 09/14/10
Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...the questions of how we work through grief and go about reconnecting with life are unquestionably valid ones, but an air of genteel familiarity stifles their impact here."(See all of Kenneth Turan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 505 words, 12/17/10
Patrick Z. McGavin, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "...bruising and affecting... Kidman and Eckhart turn out superb work, biting, confused, anxious... not a groundbreaking or profound film, but it is smart and compelling."(See all of Patrick Z. McGavin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 724 words, 09/27/10
A.O. Scott, New York Times: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...it never quite manages to inspire the deep, resonant empathy these stricken parents -- and, more to the point, we in the audience -- so desperately need."(See all of A.O. Scott's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 998 words, 12/17/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: EXCELLENT "Nicole Kidman's beautiful performance transcends the specifics of the script... the most affecting moments are the oblique ones..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 308 words, 12/17/10
19.2 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Rabbit Hole's reviews are separated by an average 19.2 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.
Rabbit Hole (43 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Rabbit Hole's reviews cover 67.4% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 23,280 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 541 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 22.6 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Rabbit Hole's reviews on average broke 22.6 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 Rabbit Hole's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Rabbit Hole (43 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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