RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Check out the new RT Community
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | In Theaters
  • | Opening
  • | Upcoming
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / When Did You Last See Your Father?
When Did You Last See Your Father?

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
  • Visit Official Site External Icon
Bookmark and Share

When Did You Last See Your Father? (2008)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
73 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:91

Fresh:66

Rotten:25

Average Rating:6.6/10

Consensus: Sensitive to a fault, Tucker's adaptation of the Morrison novel is nonetheless solidly scripted and well-acted; guard your heartstrings.

Australian Rating: M [See Full Rating] Mature themes Infrequent coarse language

Runtime: 1 hr 32 mins

Genre: Dramas

Australian Theatrical Release:
Jul 31, 2008 Wide

US Box Office: $732,392

Synopsis: Celebrated English actors Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth team up for this moving drama about a father and son. Based on Blake Morrison's autobiographical novel, WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER?... Celebrated English actors Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth team up for this moving drama about a father and son. Based on Blake Morrison's autobiographical novel, WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? bounces between the 1950s and the 1980s as Blake (Firth, BRIDGET JONES' DIARY) remembers all the good and the bad moments in his relationship with his dad as the man is dying of cancer. Oscar-winner Broadbent (IRIS) is Blake's father, Arthur, who seems to charm everyone but his son. He belittles and embarrasses the boy, and Blake's anger is understandable. But as Arthur begins to fade, an adult Blake struggles with his feelings for the man. With WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? director Anand Tucker continues his tradition of creating relationship-based dramas after HILARY AND JACKIE and SHOPGIRL. But while those two films centered on the relationship of sisters or romantic entanglements, this movie focuses on the heartbreaking dynamic between father and son. Broadbent's Arthur says some cringe-inducing things to his son, not the least of which is his frequent use of the name "fathead" in reference to Blake. Between Arthur's cruelty and the pain of watching him die, WHEN DID YOU LAST SEE YOUR FATHER? doesn't always make for easy watching. But Broadbent's talent makes Arthur an ultimately sympathetic character; he is a deeply flawed man who truly loves his son, though he is rarely sure of how to show that feeling. Fans of tearjerkers such as TERMS OF ENDEARMENT and BEACHES will certainly want to have a hankie nearby for this emotional film. [More]

Starring: Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson, Gina McKee

Starring: Colin Firth, Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson, Gina McKee, Claire Skinner, Matthew Beard

Director: Anand Tucker

Director: Anand Tucker
Screenwriter: David Nicholls
Producer: Elizabeth Karlsen, Stephen Woolley
Composer: Barrington Pheloung
Studio: Sony Pictures Classics

[See More Credits]

  • Trailers
  • Pictures
  • Trailer
    >
1 of 1

See More Movie Trailers & Pictures

Reviews for When Did You Last See Your Father?

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 

Firth gives one of his most stitched-up performances as the adult Blake. Maybe he overdoes it but I don't think so. His aloofness, with its awkward hesitancies and ragged bursts of feeling, means that it's all the more moving when he finally lets go.

Full Review Source: Sydney Morning Herald | comment Comment
08/01/08
Sandra Hall
Sandra Hall
Sydney Morning Herald
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Grief is difficult to portray without being morbid, and despite valiant efforts to follow in the footsteps of Big Fish, which swept us away with uplifting reminiscences and amusing anecdotes, this drama struggles to find its equilibrium.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
07/25/08
Louise Keller
Louise Keller
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Blake Morrison's pain is invasive and all-embracing as recounted in his book and repeated in this adaptation, which is a wake and a weep for a father lost to male failures of communication.

Full Review Source: Urban Cinefile | comment Comment
07/25/08
Andrew L. Urban
Andrew L. Urban
Urban Cinefile
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Orlando Sentinel | comment Comment
05/13/09
Roger Moore
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel

A bore of a memoir.

Full Review Source: DVDTalk.com | comment Comment
11/06/08
David Cornelius
David Cornelius
DVDTalk.com

A keen and candid subjective scrutiny of parenting through the eyes of a damaged offspring, but a relentlessly grim, insular perspective that rarely ventures outside those long festering psychological wounds.

Full Review Source: NewsBlaze | comment Comment
11/01/08
Prairie Miller
Prairie Miller
NewsBlaze

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
10/18/08
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

It's Broadbent's movie, and he really does go from one-foot-in-the-grave to youthful and crackling-with-charisma on a dime. It's not so much that he does it, but that it seems so effortless and non-ostentatious.

Full Review Source: Jam! Movies | comment Comment
10/18/08
Jim Slotek
Jim Slotek
Jam! Movies

The performances are marvelous, and little moments ring all too true, making Tucker’s film rewarding if not illuminating.

Full Review Source: Austin Chronicle | comment Comment
10/18/08
Marjorie Baumgarten
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle

The winning aspect of this adaptation of a best-selling autobiography is in the director's management of the points of view.

Full Review Source: Toronto Star | comment Comment
10/18/08
Susan Walker
Susan Walker
Toronto Star

A small, intimate film with numerous flashbacks like this one is trickier than it looks, but ultimately it touches the heart and proves a worthwhile journey perfectly timed for Father’s Day.

Full Review Source: Hollywood.com | comment Comment
10/01/08
Pete Hammond
Pete Hammond
Hollywood.com

...a movie that would probably be better off as a poem.

Full Review Source: Arkansas Democrat-Gazette | comment Comment
09/09/08
Philip Martin
Philip Martin
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette

"Father" handles things with grace, wit and a healthy dose of authenticity, staying true to author Blake Morrison's clear-eyed memoir of the same name.

Full Review Source: Capital Times (Madison, WI) | comment Comment
09/04/08
Rob Thomas
Rob Thomas
Capital Times (Madison, WI)

Frustratingly stagnant at times but ultimately a moving story about a dying father and the son who must come to terms with him.

Full Review Source: Miami Herald | comment Comment
08/29/08
Connie Ogle
Connie Ogle
Miami Herald

The film puts forth the idea that the best we ever get are reflections and fragmented images of others, as if we see things entirely through prisms or distorting glass.

Full Review Source: Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) | comment 1 Comment
08/06/08
Ken Hanke
Ken Hanke
Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

When Firth and Broadbent share screen time, it's very watchable. Despite their proximity in real-life ages, they're convincing as son and father.

Full Review Source: Deseret News, Salt Lake City | comment Comment
07/23/08
Jeff Vice
Jeff Vice
Deseret News, Salt Lake City

Everything in Water Lilies is more guarded, more complex and far more interesting than it seems.

Full Review Source: San Francisco Chronicle | comment Comment
07/11/08
Mick LaSalle
Mick LaSalle
San Francisco Chronicle

In this delicate and understated portrait of selective reminiscence by Shopgirl director Anand Tucker, the now-grown son, played by Colin Firth, returns to the scene of the crime that was his childhood.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
07/11/08
Duane Dudek
Duane Dudek
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

When Did You Last See Your Father? is based on a true story, but it still feels contrived.

Full Review Source: Kansas City Star | comment Comment
07/11/08
Loey Lockerby
Loey Lockerby
Kansas City Star

Though ... well-acted by Firth, Broadbent and Juliet Stevenson, the slow pacing makes it feel as if everyone is walking through a waist-deep bog of emotional reserve.

Full Review Source: Salt Lake Tribune | comment Comment
07/10/08
Sean Means
Sean Means
Salt Lake Tribune
 
 
1 - 20 (sorted by date; Australian critics are listed first)
Text View | 1 2 3 4 5 >> >|
all

Latest News for When Did You Last See Your Father?

November 01, 2008: A keen and candid subjective scrutiny of parenting through the eyes of a damaged offspring, but a relentlessly grim, insular perspective that rarely ventures outside those long festering psychological wounds. Opens in new window
More...

December 14, 2007: Atonement, Control Lead London Film Critics Noms
The London Critics Circle has announced the nominees for its year-end awards, with Anton Corbijn's Control and Joe Wright's Atonement leading the pack at eight nominations apiece. More...

September 09, 2007: Trailer & Poster review. Opens in new window
More...

See All

More DVDs

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
68% 68% Funny People
25% 25% Four Christmases
45% 45% Shorts
53% 53% David & Layla

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Shock! Horror?

Shock! Horror?

Lars von Trier talks Antichrist

Avatar

Avatar

Watch an exclusive behind-the-scenes video

RT's Twilight corner

RT's Twilight corner

Everything you need on New Moon is here

Doomed Romance

Doomed Romance

Our top 10 star-crossed movie lovers

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
30
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
112
  • Idris Elba Joins Thor Source: Hollywood Reporter
112
  • Jackass 3D Coming in 2010? Source: Collider.com
32
  • 6 Reasons 'Twilight' Is Doomed Source: The Wrap
64
  • Forbes Names Hollywood's Most Overpaid Actors Source: Forbes
20
  • Chris Weitz Says He's (Almost) Done with Directing Source: Film School Rejects
26
  • Spider-Man 4 Casting Rumors Multiply Like Rabbits Source: Deadline Hollywood Daily
51
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: New Moon Shatters Records
168
  • Critics Consensus: New Moon Wanes
129
  • Tomatometer Watch: Will Twilight's New Moon Dazzle?
97
  • Total Recall: Star-Crossed Lovers
75
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
62
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
56
  • Five Favorite Films with Werner Herzog
50
  • Friday Harvest: New Moon, Avatar, and more!
32
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
8
  • RT on DVD: Harry Potter returns, Bella heads to Adventureland
4
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
8
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
8
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
19
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
6
  • RT on DVD: Wassup, Bruno
3
  • Scott Hicks Talks The Boys Are Back
0
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Richard Kelly chats about The Box
2
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
19
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • When Did You Last See Your Father? at Rotten Tomatoes
  • When Did You Last See Your Father? at IGN

Fresh Links

Featured
Win Glee DVDs
Win Glee DVDs External Link

We've got 20 copies of the hit TV series' Pilot Episode to giveaway.

New Moon Portraits
New Moon Portraits External Link

TIME offers us a closer look at the characters from the latest Twilight film.

Why Don't Australians Make Sci-fi?
Why Don't Australians Make Sci-fi? External Link

The New Matilda's Lynden Barber looks at the recent success of low-budget sci-fi -- and asks the question.

Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter External Link

Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.

Competitions
Win Star Wars prizes
Win Star Wars prizes External Link

Enough Prequel, Original Trilogy and Family Guy DVDs to fill a space cruiser

Win the entire 007 collection
Win the entire 007 collection External Link

Everything from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace could be yours.

Win Fight Club Special Editions and more
Win Fight Club Special Editions and more External Link

We're giving away the 10th Anniversary Blu-ray, plus Braveheart and the Rocky collection

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.