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crazy/beautiful
Touchstone Pictures

crazy/beautiful reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 61 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
9.5 out of 10
based on 26 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 55 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for mature thematic material involving teens, drug/alcohol content, sexuality & language

Starring Kirsten Dunst, Jay Hernandez, Bruce Davison, Lucinda Jenney, Taryn Manning, and Rolando Molina

This teen drama, set at a Southern California high school, focuses on the complicated romance between a rebellious girl from and affluent family (Dunst) and a hardworking Latino boy from East L.A. (Hernandez).


GENRE(S): Romance  
WRITTEN BY: Phil Hay
Matt Manfredi
 
DIRECTED BY: John Stockwell  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: November 13, 2001 
Video: November 13, 2001 
Theatrical: June 29, 2001 
RUNNING TIME: 95 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: USA 

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...

80
Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector
Gutsy romance-drama that breaks a cardinal rule of storytelling and pop psychology: its iconic lovers aren't forced by a tragedy to learn that they shouldn't depend on each other to feel whole.
Read Full Review
80
Salon.com Stephanie Zacharek
Even after losing its sexiest, tawdriest moments, this teen romance is still hotter, smarter and more fearless than its Hollywood contemporaries.
Read Full Review
80
The New York Times Dana Stevens
It is an enormous improvement over the brainless, patronizing teenage romances that have slouched into (and quickly out of) theaters in recent years. But it could, if the filmmakers had trusted themselves and the actors a bit more, have lived up to its title.
Read Full Review
80
Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan
Very much of a guilty pleasure. A nifty piece of teenage romantic piffle, it combines two strong and attractive performances.
Read Full Review
80
Mr. Showbiz Cody Clark
A teenage movie that trusts its audience -- it sounds crazy, but it's actually quite beautiful.
75
Chicago Tribune Mark Caro
Stockwell deserves kudos for working mental illness into a teen story without making it the explicit focus, as in simplistic exercises like "Girl, Interrupted."
75
USA Today Susan Wloszczyna
Atypical teen drama about opposites attracting that often (and happily) confounds expectations.
Read Full Review
75
Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
Fast, wacky and bubbling with passion or dark, troubled and doomed. In the unusually titled crazy/beautiful, it's all those things at once.
Read Full Review
75
Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach
The story seems fresh and alive. They also had the good sense to cast Dunst, at 19 already one of Hollywood's finest and most consistent actresses.
Read Full Review
75
San Francisco Chronicle Wesley Morris
Even when the movie is bad -- it's addictively so.
Read Full Review
75
New York Daily News Jami Bernard
An impressive portrait of the migraine of teenage girlhood, and also works on the more modest level of teen romance.
Read Full Review
75
Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea
An intelligent romance that cuts against the grain of the youth-pic genre, crazy/beautiful boasts a scarily good performance from Dunst.
Read Full Review
75
Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
Tougher, less sentimental mirror version of "Save the Last Dance."
Read Full Review
75
Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman
Dunst, in her finest performance yet, has now transcended her fellow teen stars. She is arguably the first actress of her generation poised to take on Gwyneth and Julia.
Read Full Review
70
New Times (L.A.) Luke Y. Thompson
There's enough substance here to make Crazy/Beautiful more than worthwhile for its target audience, and certainly more useful than the standard teen crapfests.
Read Full Review
67
Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold
An absorbing little drama full of unexpected revelations, keen insights into the Anglo and Hispanic cultures of L.A., and strong supporting performances.
Read Full Review
67
Austin Chronicle Kimberley Jones
Movingly captures the terrors and delights of being lovesick at 17. Would that it hadn't felt constrained to target only the 17-year-olds.
Read Full Review
67
Portland Oregonian Kim Morgan
Really a vehicle for Dunst, which would be fine if only the vehicle were more inspired.
Read Full Review
63
Boston Globe Jay Carr
To have been the film it could have been, crazy/beautiful needed to be messier.
Read Full Review
60
LA Weekly Ella Taylor
Crazy/beautiful has a leisurely local specificity, and Stockwell has a tender way with his actors.
Read Full Review
50
Variety Todd McCarthy
The significant potential of its premise is squandered by an increasing reliance on teen movie cliches, silly plotting and the urge to be upbeat rather than to communicate life lessons.
Read Full Review
50
New York Post Jonathan Foreman
Courageous, convincing performance by Dunst.
30
Washington Post Nicole Arthur
Surprisingly mawkish teen film.
Read Full Review
30
Village Voice Amy Taubin
Overproduced as a Super Bowl soft-drink commercial, so much so that even its potentially insightful moments seem like movie fakery.
Read Full Review
30
TV Guide Steve Simels
Numbingly predictable.
Read Full Review
20
Rolling Stone Peter Travers
From the lowercase lettering of the title to the deadly familiarity of the plot, there is much to grate on your nerves in this TV Afterschool Special trying to pass as a real movie.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 9.5 (out of 10) based on 55 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Alexandria M. gave it a10:
You know, I truly believe this is the greatest teen movie that has been made. I'm glad that they understand fully how a teenagers life is, its not like other ridiculous teen films where you can't connect with their emotions, and their feelings are very inadequate to a NORMAL teenager's life. This movie deserves a 10, they had a perfect cast, and Kirstin Dunst is a genius with her performance, and Jay, don't even get me started with him. Incredible talent, sure to see him rise to the top. Overall, phenominal, and I'm glad that this movie was made.

krystle gave it a10:
Omg i just saw the movie today it was amazing!!!He a great actor and cant wait to see the movie again.i wish i was kristen dunst!

Jamie B. gave it a10:
I gave it a 10 becuz JAY is so danm good looking and he made the movie good kristen dunst is ugly they should have put someone else.

Andrew M. gave it a 9:
Great youth film. Tenderly handled, delicately delivered, but with a toughness about it. Dunst and Hernandez are superb and the supporting cast are solid. Not much weak about it. A film to recommend to all teens, but not restricted to just them; I am in my late 20's and I got a lot out of this movie. See it.

Laura gave it a 10:
I loved this movie.....it waz an excellent love story and jay is so hot!!!!!

Tara L. gave it a 10:
This movie was the ultimate BEST! They are both such good actors.. the love experience was great and its def. a teenage movie! If you haven't seen it, you should! I'm hoping there will be a second one..hmm never know..

[Anonymous] gave it a 10:
My favorite movie--very realistic--nothing bad about it!

Read more user comments...

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