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When Did You Last See Your Father?

EMAILPRINTSony Pictures Classics

When Did You Last See Your Father? reviews
66
9.3 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 24 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 3 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Drama

Written by: Blake Morrison (& book)
David Nicholls

Directed by: Anand Tucker

Release Date:
Theatrical: June 6, 2008
DVD: November 4, 2008

Running Time: 92 minutes, Color

Origin: UK | Ireland

Summary

RATING: PG-13 for sexual content, thematic material and brief strong language

Starring Gina McKee, Jim Broadbent, Juliet Stevenson, Gina Mckee, and Sarah Lancashire

When Did You Las See Your Father? is an unflinching exploration of a father/son relationship, as Blake Morrison deal with his father Arthur’s terminal illness and imminent death. Blake’s memories of everything funny, embarrassing and upsetting about his childhood and teen are interspersed with tender and heartrending scenes in the present, as he struggles to come to terms with his father and their history of conflict, and learns to accept that one’s parents are not always accountable to their children. (Sony Picture Classics)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

88

USA Today Claudia Puig

Superbly acted, intelligently written.

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88

Chicago Tribune Sid Smith

Jim Broadbent and Colin Firth demonstrate once again the magic and majesty of finely etched British acting. Backed by a solid support cast, their performances are deeply felt and cagily detailed.

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88

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

This is Broadbent's picture to steal and, playing the father through several decades, he takes full advantage; his theft is effortlessly skilled.

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83

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Taps into the conflicting feelings so many of us can have about parents who haunt us because they're difficult, which is part of what makes them irreplaceable.

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80

New York Daily News Joe Neumaier

Loss and mourning are hard emotions to make real on film. Go one way, and they easily come off tear-jerky; go the other, and they end up aloof. Usually the first approach wins out, but When Did You Last See Your Father? lands right in the middle, one man's cool-headed but still warm account of his dying dad's impact on him.

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80

Village Voice Ella Taylor

The kind of superior middlebrow filmmaking at which the Brits excel.

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75

ReelViews James Berardinelli

The acting is top-notch. With a series of character roles in recent years, Colin Firth has managed to put the iconic Mr. Darcy behind him. Jim Broadbent, now the proud owner of an Oscar, creates a motion picture rarity: a father who is neither a saint nor a demon.

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75

The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps

Nicely balances moments of childhood trauma with a full appreciation of the man whose enthusiasm for high spirits sometimes came at considerable cost to those around him.

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75

San Francisco Chronicle Walter Addiego

A classy tearjerker.

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75

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

The film did not provide me with fulfillment or a catharsis. Apparently the memoir wouldn't have, either. That's fair enough. How many unanswered questions are we all left with? I have some. This is a film of regret, and judging by what we see of the characters, it deserves to be.

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75

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Directed by Anand Tucker, who brings the same knack for restrained but observant storytelling that marked both his "Shopgirl" and "Hilary and Jackie," the film is a memory piece.

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70

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

An eloquent and affecting evocation of a man who remains bigger than life even as he approaches death.

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70

The New York Times Manohla Dargis

The whole thing might have been improved with a bit of messiness, a little vulgarity to leaven its tastefulness and tact.

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67

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Andy Spletzer

Though Firth can be an engaging actor, he doesn't seem to be having any fun here and saps the life out of the film.

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67

Portland Oregonian Marc Mohan

The film winds up with some meaningful things to say about balancing the desire to clear the familial air and the need to let some things be, but never gets deep enough into its character's psyches to dig up anything more revelatory than that.

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63

Boston Globe Ty Burr

It may be powerful in direct proportion to the emotions and memories each viewer brings to the table, but on its own the film's upper lip remains much too stiff.

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63

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

The film ends on a lovely, graceful, simple moment, one that will stick with you, especially if you've had occasion to give the title question some thought.

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60

Los Angeles Times Mark Olsen

One would only hope that a film about death and dying wouldn't have to feel quite so lifeless.

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60

Variety Derek Elley

An unashamed tearjerker that’s all wrapping and no center.

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60

The Hollywood Reporter Michael Rechtshaffen

A stylishly appointed but monotonous relationship drama that keeps going around in the same, indulgent circles.

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50

Austin Chronicle Marjorie Baumgarten

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

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50

New York Post Kyle Smith

Pretty good, for a movie about death isn't really good enough.

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50

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

Adapted from a memoir by British writer Blake Morrison, this father-son drama never rises above the archetypal: its conflict will be familiar to all, its resolution a surprise to none.

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50

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

The movie is slick (the director loves mirrors!) and treacly and goes nowhere that hasn't been gone before.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 9.3 (out of 10) based on 3 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

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