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RUBY SPARKSMovie Reviews
Comedy fantasy about a novelist who is inspired by his newly created character, a young woman who turns into a living, breathing person. Cast:Paul Dano, Zoe Kazan, Chris Messina, Annette Bening, Antonio Banderas, Aasif Mandvi, Steve Coogan, Toni Trucks, Deborah Ann WollDirector:Jonathan Dayton, Valerie FarisRelease Date:July 25, 2012DVD Release:October 30, 2012From:Fox SearchlightRating:RLength:1 hr. 44 min.
Ruby Sparks played in key cities to very good reviews. • Joe Morgenstern wrote in the Wall Street Journal, "What's good in the film is so good — so exuberant and touching and sweet — that you want the whole thing to be perfect, but..." • And Dana Stevens wrote for Slate, "...though it has moments of cleverness and charm, it ultimately remains too nice..." More Reviews Below...
Richard Corliss, Time: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...tries its damnedest to make a picture that seduces moviegoers into accepting it as their best imaginary friend forever. But the sweat shows more than the sparkle."(See all of Richard Corliss's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,201 words, 07/27/12
Christy Lemire, Associated Press: VERY GOOD(cg) "...slyly, smartly pokes holes in the romanticism of the Manic Pixie Dreamgirl... Delightfulness and charm ultimately win out over any deep revelations..."(See all of Christy Lemire's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 590 words, 07/25/12
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: EXCELLENT(cg) "...flirts with preciousness and has less fun with its premise than it could have, but that's because it's actually a gently touching metaphorical drama..."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 537 words, 07/27/12
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: VERY GOOD(cg) "Don't look for sweet and embraceable. This movie is not afraid to show its claws. Like the spirited teamwork of Kazan and Dano, it is honest, deep and true."(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 292 words, 08/03/12
Claudia Puig, USA Today: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the fictional premise is used cleverly to illuminate the creative process and explore romantic minefields... has a low-key, polished charm."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 411 words, 07/27/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...intriguing... If the film has a message, and I'm not sure it does, it may be: As long as you're alive, you're always in rewrite."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 541 words, 07/27/12
James Rocchi, MSN Movies: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a great, smart romance about love and love stories, with comedy and insights... plays light and fun for a long time, but it's also setting you up for some hard hits..."(See all of James Rocchi's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 661 words, 07/23/12
James Berardinelli, Reel Views: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...goes places where few romantic comedies dare to tread. One scene in particular is so bleak as to be almost physically painful. It's a powerful sequence..."(See all of James Berardinelli's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,041 words, 07/24/12
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (13 Reviews)
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...doesn't try to pretend to be more than it is: a sleek, beautifully written and acted romantic comedy that glides down to earth in a gently satisfying soft landing."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 751 words, 07/25/12
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Anyone who thinks American adorkability is the exclusive domain of Zooey Deschanel has yet to discover Zoe Kazan and Paul Dano."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 373 words, 07/27/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...engagingly off-kilter... if you get what you want, does that mean you got what you need? It is answered in fits of brilliance, and a few serious fumbles..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 807 words, 07/25/12
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: MODERATE(cg) "Kazan has written herself into a corner that can only lead to embracing the sappy romantic clichés that 'Ruby Sparks' tries half-heartedly to mock."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 492 words, 07/27/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "It's refreshing to see a premise such as this one treated to a nonsmarmy telling. But the picture, intelligent but mild, has more of a 10-volt hum than a true spark."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 500 words, 07/25/12
Rafer Guzman, New York Newsday: VERY GOOD(cg) "...smart, funny, charming... the story takes some unexpectedly troubling turns. It's a fresh angle on a familiar story, and a small-scale tour-de-force for Zoe Kazan."(See all of Rafer Guzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 308 words, 08/10/12
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...a fairly engaging parable about the crap men project on their wives and girlfriends, the sort of controlling fantasies that wreak havoc on a woman's sense of self."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 412 words, 07/30/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...intriguing... If the film has a message, and I'm not sure it does, it may be: As long as you're alive, you're always in rewrite."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 541 words, 07/27/12
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Zoe Kazan wrote the screenplay... the direction, from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris ('Little Miss Sunshine'), is never more than workmanlike."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 270 words, 07/25/12
Kate Taylor, Toronto Globe & Mail: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the directorial team of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris ('Little Miss Sunshine') creates a film that successfully comments on the perils of romantic love."(See all of Kate Taylor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 288 words, 08/03/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...feels like the best Woody Allen movie Woody Allen never made - a clever magic-realist romantic fantasy... Dano and Kazan are terrific..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 166 words, 08/02/12
KEY CITIES (13 Reviews)
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an adroit, modestly inventive take on the Pygmalion myth... ultimately loses its nerve... for a while there, 'Ruby Sparks' is a tough little movie."(See all of Ann Hornaday's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 670 words, 07/27/12
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: OUTSTANDING(cg) "What starts off as a sunny daydream, a shot of whimsy and mild-mannered magical realism, turns into something more serious, and seriously reflective. Satisfyingly so."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 618 words, 08/03/12
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...a smart, funny, challenging, dark but hopeful love story. What first seems derivative is an inspired switcheroo."(See all of Colin Covert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 498 words, 08/03/12
Stephen Whitty, New Jersey Star-Ledger: VERY GOOD(cg) "It's not the sunniest romantic comedy you'll see. But it is one of the smartest. And, perhaps, the likeliest to get you thinking..."(See all of Stephen Whitty's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 590 words, 07/25/12
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...satisfying... a movie about a certain element of surrender - about the release of power - that is practically a requirement for loving somebody."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 499 words, 07/25/12
Moira Macdonald, Seattle Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...written with great cleverness and wit... wonderfully original... floats along like a balloon in the sunshine, following its own rules -- and it's a joy."(See all of Moira Macdonald's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 429 words, 08/03/12
Shawn Levy, Portland Oregonian: VERY GOOD(cg) "If 'Ruby Sparks' doesn't warm you much or form a seamless whole, it's nevertheless got pieces that you can genuinely admire."(See all of Shawn Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 211 words, 08/03/12
Calvin Wilson, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Kazan and Dano are a couple off screen, and their familiarity with each other's rhythms no doubt contributes to the film's offbeat energy.... sparklingly entertaining..."(See all of Calvin Wilson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 303 words, 08/03/12
Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times: EXCELLENT(cg) "Fantasy, yes, but not far removed from love stories in real life. If the movie doesn't tell anything we don't already know, it's told with intelligent charm."(See all of Steve Persall's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 403 words, 08/09/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: OUTSTANDING(cg) "The trick is, don't overthink it. 'Ruby Sparks' is a film about the wonder of, and the limits of, magic. Believe and enjoy."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 484 words, 08/03/12
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "...opts for a seemingly darker but ultimately easier resolution... Just when Calvin was starting to learn just how messy true love can be, 'Ruby Sparks' wimps out on him."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 550 words, 08/10/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (10 Reviews)
Nick Pinkerton, Village Voice/LA Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "Zoe Kazan wrote the screenplay... the direction, from Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris ('Little Miss Sunshine'), is never more than workmanlike."(See all of Nick Pinkerton's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 270 words, 07/25/12
Katey Rich, Cinema Blend: MODERATE(cg) "Kazan has written a strong and intriguing role for herself, but without the strength of story to carry that character somewhere quite as worthy."(See all of Katey Rich's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 546 words, 07/25/12
Inkoo Kang, Pop Matters: WEAK(cg) "...its embrace of a cheap, unearned optimism ends up celebrating exactly the type of docile, wispy femininity it might have debunked."(See all of Inkoo Kang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 816 words, 07/25/12
Alison Willmore, Movieline: EXCELLENT(cg) "As a whole, 'Ruby Sparks' lands like a punch.... Real people have problems that can't be dismissed with a sweeping sentence on a page..."(See all of Alison Willmore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 792 words, 07/26/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "...feels like the best Woody Allen movie Woody Allen never made - a clever magic-realist romantic fantasy... Dano and Kazan are terrific..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 166 words, 08/02/12
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: MODERATE(cg) "The whole cast is charming and funny... [but] how amazing might this story have been if it had been presented from Ruby's viewpoint!"(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 952 words, 10/12/12
HIGHBROW PRESS (6 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "What's good in the film is so good -- so exuberant and touching and sweet -- that you want the whole thing to be perfect, but..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 530 words, 07/27/12
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...doesn't try to pretend to be more than it is: a sleek, beautifully written and acted romantic comedy that glides down to earth in a gently satisfying soft landing."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 751 words, 07/25/12
Ella Taylor, NPR: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...modestly sweet.... under the direction of Jonathan Dayton and Valerie Faris it gnaws a little too hard on its magical-realist trickery."(See all of Ella Taylor's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 682 words, 07/24/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...engagingly off-kilter... if you get what you want, does that mean you got what you need? It is answered in fits of brilliance, and a few serious fumbles..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 807 words, 07/25/12
Dana Stevens, Slate: GOOD (NOT GREAT) "...though it has moments of cleverness and charm, it ultimately remains too nice, too eager to please... It's never as scary or as funny as you want it to be."(See all of Dana Stevens's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,010 words, 07/26/12
Andrew O'Hehir, Salon: FAIR "...crammed with ideas, top-heavy with ambition.... Kazan's script feels like a half-finished knockoff of a 1980s Woody Allen movie that wanted several more drafts."(See all of Andrew O'Hehir's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 1,522 words, 07/25/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (6 Reviews)
Justin Chang, Daily Variety: GOOD "...flirts with dark, neurotic notions concerning the male tendency to idealize/control women... a first-time screenwriting effort with smooth, unfussy results."(See all of Justin Chang's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 868 words, 06/18/12
Todd McCarthy, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "A beguiling romantic fantasy about the creative process and its potential to take on a life of its own... performs an imaginative high-wire act with finesse and charm."(See all of Todd McCarthy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 919 words, 06/18/12
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: GOOD "...engagingly off-kilter... if you get what you want, does that mean you got what you need? It is answered in fits of brilliance, and a few serious fumbles..."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 807 words, 07/25/12
Emanuel Levy, Cinema 24/7: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a wry and inventive, and occasionally bright take on the relationship between a creator and his creation... another take on the tale of 'Pygmalion'..."(See all of Emanuel Levy's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 497 words, 07/19/12
Stephen Holden, New York Times: VERY GOOD "...doesn't try to pretend to be more than it is: a sleek, beautifully written and acted romantic comedy that glides down to earth in a gently satisfying soft landing."(See all of Stephen Holden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 751 words, 07/25/12
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: VERY GOOD "What's good in the film is so good -- so exuberant and touching and sweet -- that you want the whole thing to be perfect, but..."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 530 words, 07/27/12
15.1 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Ruby Sparks's reviews are separated by an average 15.1 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.
Ruby Sparks (48 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Ruby Sparks's reviews cover 89.5% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 27,690 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 577 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Reviews Broke 54.1 Hours After Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Ruby Sparks's reviews on average broke 54.1 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 Ruby Sparks's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Ruby Sparks (48 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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