The characters are fully dimensional, the performances perceptive and well-modulated.
Comment
04/21/03
Laurel Canyon (2003)
67
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:107
Fresh:72
Rotten:35
Average Rating:6.4/10
Consensus: Though the movie itself is flawed, McDormand is fantastic as Jane.
Runtime: 1 hr 41 mins
Genre: Dramas
US Box Office: $3,596,939
Synopsis: Laurel Canyon is a street that runs through the heart of the Hollywood Hills, joining the middle-class, stolid environs of the San Fernando Valley to the heart of the city of Los Angeles. The... [More]
Starring: Frances McDormand, Christian Bale, Kate Beckinsale, Natascha McElhone
Director: Lisa Cholodenko
Reviews for Laurel Canyon
The main reason to see Canyon isn't the tofu of writer/director Lisa Cholodenko's plot. It's for the red meat of McDormand's performance.
04/18/03
Self-discovery seems to be the goal, but the revelations hardly seem worth the work.
04/18/03
McDormand is superb. Likewise Bale and Nivola.
04/17/03
Click to read the article
04/13/03
If there is one reason to see Laurel Canyon, it's to witness McDormand in the kind of role she's long deserved.
04/11/03
Top CriticLaurel Canyon's end isn't entirely satisfying, but the story works.
04/11/03
...a strikingly judgmental movie in favor of liberal lifestyles.
04/11/03
Click to read the article
04/11/03
Top CriticThanks to the performances and the general looseness of the script, the movie is more appealing than it has any business being.
04/11/03
Top CriticLaurel Canyon gets off to a shaky start, but its characters soon come to life
04/09/03
Are you ready for 'Marge Gunderson: Sex Goddess'?
04/09/03
Cholodenko's second film is slicker but less satisfying than her first, but features another Oscar calibre performance from Frances McDormand, who has simply never been better than she is here
04/06/03
[Cholodenko's] smart script and sensitive directing make up for sluggish pacing, the picture's one major flaw.
04/04/03
Good entertainment, but not a film that will stay on your mind once you've seen it.
04/04/03
Never reaches the bar it sets for itself.
04/04/03
Plays out like a slow-motion sex farce.
04/04/03
While the plot successfully sets up the subsequent confrontation between the fragmented Sam and Alexis, both actors fail to elevate their performances to the dramatic level the climactic scene requires.
03/31/03
If you want to see a first class perf by McDormand and a sexually titillating family story, then I think you might enjoy ["Laurel Canyon"].
03/31/03
But what holds the film together is Frances McDormand’s riveting, unapologetic performance as Jane.
03/30/03
Latest News for Laurel Canyon
October 19, 2006:
Critical Consensus: "Flags" Flies High; "The Prestige" Is Magic; "Flicka" Is A Pretty Good Ride; "Marie Antoinette" Spared Critical Guillotine
This week at the movies, we've got a complex tale of heroism (Clint Eastwood's "Flags of Our Fathers," starring Ryan Phillippe), a story of dueling magicians... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
Virtuoso Vistas of The Lovely Bones 
Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.
Animated Oscar?
Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions
Win Alvin and the Chipmunks 2 prize packs
We're giving away a bunch of stuff from the upcoming Squeakquel.
Win Inglourious Basterds DVDs
We're giving away five copies of Tarantino's hit, with thanks to Universal. That's a bingo.
IGN RSS Feeds