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WELCOME TO THE RILEYSMovie Reviews
Drama about a couple, traumatized by the death of their daughter, who enter into an unconventional arrangement with a 17 year-old runaway in New Orleans. Cast:Melissa Leo, James Gandolfini, Kristen StewartDirector:Jake ScottRelease Date:October 29, 2010DVD Release:November 2, 2010From:Samuel GoldwynRating:RLength:1 hr 50 min
NOVEMBER 2, 2010
Welcome to the Rileys, Moderate Reviews Key Cities
Welcome to the Rileys played in key cities to moderate reviews. • Claudia Puig wrote in USA Today, "...uneven... does manage to avoid sentimentality. But only two-thirds of this unlikely trio comes close to capturing the complexity of anguish and pain." • And Ty Burr wrote in the Boston Globe, "...a small, strange, achingly sincere character drama... tiptoes around its emotions without ever committing to them." More Reviews Below...
Welcome to the Rileys Positive Reviews (29 Reviews, reviews below)
Jake Coyle, Associated Press: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Stewart has the habit of biting her bottom lip, a gesture she should be careful not to overuse. But she's a captivating blend of fragility and strength."(See all of Jake Coyle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 715 words, 10/28/10
Thelma Adams, Us Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "The drama has some poignant smaller moments... the underlying premise rings false.... And as for Gandolfini's inconsistent Southern accent -- fuhgedaboudit!"(See all of Thelma Adams's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 194 words, 10/28/10
Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...the overload of soapsuds (and the production's excessive attention to on-location squalor) at times overwhelms the earnest performances of the three very good leads..."(See all of Lisa Schwarzbaum's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 241 words, 10/29/10
Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: MODERATE(cg) "Stewart as an underage New Orleans stripper who hooks on the side?... Gandolfini as a married Indiana plumbing salesman who'd rather adopt her than screw her?"(See all of Peter Travers's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 109 words, 10/29/10
Claudia Puig, USA Today: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...uneven... does manage to avoid sentimentality. But only two-thirds of this unlikely trio comes close to capturing the complexity of anguish and pain."(See all of Claudia Puig's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 558 words, 10/29/10
Roger Ebert, RogerEbert.com: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a story that is a little more real and involving than we expect.... It's such a relief to be spared the usual cliches..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 765 words, 11/23/10
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NEW YORK/LOS ANGELES/CHICAGO/TORONTO (8 Reviews)
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "A pall hangs over the film, which telegraphs its ideas... What keeps the film's fragile realism intact are actors who can make even small moments count..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 821 words, 10/29/10
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: WEAK(cg) "If this were a thicker-skinned movie -- if it were the movie it thinks it is -- so much of the outcome wouldn't be telegraphed the minute you read the premise."(See all of Joe Neumaier's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 471 words, 10/29/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...flawed yet promising... Stewart seems to thrive in water over her head, and when she pulls Gandolfini in with her the movie gels."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 569 words, 10/29/10
Lou Lumenick, New York Post: VERY GOOD(cg) "I know, I know -- it sounds clichéd. But it doesn't play out that way, thanks to realistic performances and a script by Ken Hixon that's long on surprises..."(See all of Lou Lumenick's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 432 words, 10/29/10
David Edelstein, New York Magazine: VERY GOOD "...pretty good. Ken Hixon's script contrives a lot of mutual-healing set pieces and then sadly but shrewdly aborts them: That makes the drama more Chekhovian..."(See all of David Edelstein's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 330 words, 10/25/10
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: VERY GOOD(cg) "...a story that is a little more real and involving than we expect.... It's such a relief to be spared the usual cliches..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 765 words, 11/23/10
Dan Kois, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...underwritten... Try as Stewart might, she can't turn this Manic Trixie Nightmare Girl into a real person.... Scott directs unobtrusively and has a nice eye for detail."(See all of Dan Kois's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 499 words, 10/27/10
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer: MODERATE(cg) "...would have to have been written with a much sharper, surer hand for Gandolfini, Stewart, and Leo to get away with this stuff, to make it feel real."(See all of Steven Rea's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 413 words, 12/03/10
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel: VERY GOOD(cg) "...the pleasures of 'Welcome to the Rileys' are in the simplest human message of all. Take an interest in somebody who needs help and the life you save may be your own."(See all of Roger Moore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 630 words, 12/03/10
Bill Goodykoontz, Arizona Republic: VERY GOOD(cg) "...terrific acting by James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo - and a noble effort from Kristen Stewart - goes a long way toward salvaging the film."(See all of Bill Goodykoontz's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 541 words, 11/12/10
Cary Darling, Dallas Morning News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...a couple of understated yet powerful performances and a twist on the usual hooker-with-a-heart-of-gold story line... flawed yet somberly powerful..."(See all of Cary Darling's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 280 words, 11/24/10
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: MODERATE(cg) "...a small, strange, achingly sincere character drama... tiptoes around its emotions without ever committing to them."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 535 words, 10/29/10
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle: VERY GOOD(cg) "...it's a pleasure to see Stewart ('Twilight') not trying to navigate sex with a vampire or a werewolf, but as a young actress, impressive with her quirky timing..."(See all of Mick LaSalle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 410 words, 11/26/10
Marc Mohan, Portland Oregonian: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "Gandolfini is admirably low key... In fact, it's Mellisa Leo, the Oscar-nominated star of 2008's 'Frozen River,' who steals the show..."(See all of Marc Mohan's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 205 words, 11/12/10
Connie Ogle, Miami Herald: MODERATE(cg) "...the sort of middling domestic drama that features characters who behave in not-quite-human ways.... rings too false to offer much hope -- or entertainment."(See all of Connie Ogle's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 495 words, 12/03/10
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (6 Reviews)
Dan Kois, Village Voice/LA Weekly: FAIR "...underwritten... Try as Stewart might, she can't turn this Manic Trixie Nightmare Girl into a real person.... Scott directs unobtrusively and has a nice eye for detail."(See all of Dan Kois's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 499 words, 10/27/10
Peter Keough, Boston Phoenix: WEAK(cg) "...almost as embarrassing as 'Black Snake Moan' -- all the more so because nobody involved in the film seems to recognize how icky it all is."(See all of Peter Keough's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 151 words, 10/28/10
Nathan Rabin, AV Club: FAIR(cg) "...relentlessly dour... less a passionate duet than the sad spectacle of two people humming softly, sadly, and tunelessly to themselves in unison."(See all of Nathan Rabin's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 354 words, 10/28/10
Andrew Schenker, Slant: POOR(cg) "Jake (son of Ridley) Scott's 'Welcome to the Rileys' is forever peddling its psychologically reductive message until, at the end, it fairly screams it out."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 614 words, 10/24/10
MaryAnn Johanson, Flick Filosopher: GOOD(cg) "The performances all around are great... yet another wearyingly familiar story about what women can and should do for men, not about the woman themselves."(See all of MaryAnn Johanson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 290 words, 10/29/10
HIGHBROW PRESS (3 Reviews)
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "...wearisome... dreary drama telegraphs every punch, emotion and plot point with a dedication that would have done the old Western Union proud."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 428 words, 10/29/10
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "A pall hangs over the film, which telegraphs its ideas... What keeps the film's fragile realism intact are actors who can make even small moments count..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 821 words, 10/29/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...flawed yet promising... Stewart seems to thrive in water over her head, and when she pulls Gandolfini in with her the movie gels."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 569 words, 10/29/10
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: MODERATE "...a near-miss... understated music, lensing and editing fail to convey the emotion from screen to audience. Though perfs are universally strong..."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 702 words, 01/24/10
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter: MODERATE "...more than trite... such a story is never going to work on a realistic level. Scott gets nice performances though from a cast that is a virtual three-hander..."(See all of Kirk Honeycutt's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 577 words, 01/24/10
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: MODERATE "...flawed yet promising... Stewart seems to thrive in water over her head, and when she pulls Gandolfini in with her the movie gels."(See all of Betsy Sharkey's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 569 words, 10/29/10
Manohla Dargis, New York Times: MODERATE "A pall hangs over the film, which telegraphs its ideas... What keeps the film's fragile realism intact are actors who can make even small moments count..."(See all of Manohla Dargis's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 821 words, 10/29/10
Joe Morgenstern, Wall Street Journal: WEAK "...wearisome... dreary drama telegraphs every punch, emotion and plot point with a dedication that would have done the old Western Union proud."(See all of Joe Morgenstern's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 428 words, 10/29/10
17.7 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
Welcome to the Rileys's reviews are separated by an average 17.7 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.
Welcome to the Rileys (29 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:Welcome to the Rileys's reviews cover 55.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 12,838 words involume (average is 20,194 words). Length:The film's reviews average 443 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
Welcome to the Rileys Coverage, Volume & Length (29 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 33.9 Hours Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
Welcome to the Rileys's reviews on average broke 33.9 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 Welcome to the Rileys's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
Welcome to the Rileys (29 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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