A subdued Walken brings magic to the sweet tale of a dysfunctional family.
Comment
10/15/04
Around the Bend (2004)
29
%
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:92
Fresh:27
Rotten:65
Average Rating:4.9/10
Synopsis: "Around the Bend" is inspired by the relationship between writer-director Jordan Roberts and the absentee father he barely knew. It tells the story of four generations of men who are suddenly... [More]
Starring: Christopher Walken, Joshua Lucas, Michael Caine, Glenne Headly
Director: Jordan Roberts
Reviews for Around the Bend
Bend does provide some mild chuckles and gorgeous scenes of rock formations, ruins and blazing sunsets, but it isn't very engaging beyond that.
10/28/04
An appealing performance by underrated hunk Josh Lucas can’t save this well-meaning indie debut from a mawkish TV-movie of the week glow.
10/19/04
The cutesy twists may not be predictable, but they send the characters through familiar landscapes on the way to an inevitable emotional destination.
10/14/04
Endearing performances and a witty script make up for the awkward pacing and maudlin premise. **
10/27/04
This is the male equivalent of the chick flick. It could have been titled Divine Secrets of the Da-Da Brotherhood.
10/29/04
The kind of thing that would be playing nonstop if there were a Lifetime Network for Men
10/06/04
The kind of picture where instead of in-depth characterization, each person is given one, maybe two, idiosyncrasies.
09/18/04
Roberts sat on his script for years, and it has gone stale.
10/14/04
Uneven, with too much going on and too many distractions.
10/22/04
The film is a modest vehicle for large talents and should have earned its funding as a matter of product placement.
11/24/04
Given the plotline, how about a KFC promotion in which their chicken is sold in a bucket that's shaped like an urn?
10/27/04
Good performances ground this heart-affecting story about four generations of a dysfunctional family who go on a journey of transformation together.
10/08/04
It’s rare for a film of average substance to feature the diverse gifts of a legendary actor, but director Roberts is smart enough to linger on Walken’s intense, gaunt face.
10/09/04
...the kind of movie that gives sincerity a bad name.
11/08/04
Of course, audiences need and deserve tales of family reconciliation, but that doesn't make this one any less bogus at its softly fluttering heart.
10/15/04
Around the Bend has outstanding acting and a short running time, and still the story runs thin.
10/22/04
An ugly secret changes the mood of the piece from maudlin and trite to jarringly maudlin and trite.
10/26/04
I suppose Kirk Douglas wasn’t available after It Runs In The Family and Diamonds, or just realized he couldn’t do another film along the same lines as bad as those again.
10/14/04
Gentlemen, it's a male chick flick -- 'The Dirty Secrets of the Ya-Ya Brotherhood.'
10/07/04
Top CriticLatest News for Around the Bend
January 12, 2006:
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