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Danny Deckchair

EMAILPRINTLions Gate Films

Danny Deckchair reviews
56
8.5 User Score:

Mixed or average reviews

Based on 25 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 4 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Comedy

Written by: Jeff Balsmeyer

Directed by: Jeff Balsmeyer

Release Date:
Theatrical: August 11, 2004
DVD: December 21, 2004

Running Time: 90 minutes, Color

Origin: Australia

Summary

RATING: PG-13 for sex-related situations

Starring Rhys Ifans, Miranda Otto, Justine Clarke, Rhys Muldoon, John Batchelor, Alan Flower, Julie Sobotta, and Brian Langsworth

When the long awaited holiday of cement truck driver Danny (Ifans) goes south thanks to his scheming girlfriend, he escapes his suburban prison and blasts into the skies in a garden chair tied with helium balloons. (Lions Gate Entertainment)

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...

75

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

Danny Deckchair may be a trifle, but it offers a breezy lift for the dog days of summer.

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75

USA Today Mike Clark

This handsome movie works thanks to its lack of pretension and an atmosphere somewhat akin to the gentle wackiness of director Bill Forsyth's better works.

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75

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

It's pure romantic fantasy, almost too cute and naively innocent for its own good. Jeff Balsmeyer, a former storyboard artist making his directorial debut, stumbles through the clumsy establishing scenes, but his playful direction smoothes out as the characters settle in.

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75

Portland Oregonian M. E. Russell

A charming small-town comedy, thanks to the playfully romantic lead actors.

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70

Dallas Observer Gregory Weinkauf

A breezy romantic comedy, boasting a shameless silly streak.

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70

Washington Post Sara Gebhardt

This charming, hopeful story does very well just by validating our daydreams.

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70

Washington Post Stephen Hunter

It is piffle done well. A (literally) lighter-than-air story, full of goofs and creeps and fools and silliness, it manages to delight without simpering, make points without lecturing and break hearts and mend them again without turning you weepy.

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70

The Hollywood Reporter Erin Free

In the warm, sparkling character comedy Danny Deckchair, the Welsh actor (Rhys Ifans) moves to center stage, but it has taken a trip to Australia to get him there.

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70

Village Voice Mark Holcomb

Weird, frivolous, and impossible to dislike.

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63

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

Sweet-tempered, good-looking, goofy and not too sharp. The movie doesn't make much sense and neither does Danny, played by Welsh heartthrob Rhys Ifans.

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63

Miami Herald Connie Ogle

The most interesting aspect of Danny Deckchair, though, may be that the film is based on the true story.

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60

The New York Times Stephen Holden

A pleasantly sappy fable of new beginnings that suggests a Frank Capra film sweetened with an extra layer of sugar glaze.

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60

Variety David Stratton

Thanks to amiable lead performances from Miranda Otto and Rhys Ifans, this not very original Aussie comedy about a man making a fresh start in life is a pleasant enough time-waster.

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60

Los Angeles Times Carina Chocano

As instantly gratifying and devoid of surprises as a Club Med vacation. It bears no relation to reality whatsoever, but sometimes it's nice to imagine that, somewhere, there's a place nothing like home.

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60

TV Guide Ken Fox

Lighter than helium but irresistible nonetheless.

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50

Entertainment Weekly Scott Brown

It's a soothing stoner tableau, a fine dropout fantasy.

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50

LA Weekly Ella Taylor

American-born writer-director Jeff Balsmeyer can't seem to make up his mind whether he's making a gentle romantic comedy with heartfelt trimmings, or a full-court Aussie farce.

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50

ReelViews James Berardinelli

The limp movie seems to be an attempt by an Australian to mimic a bad American romantic comedy, and, unfortunately, he succeeds admirably.

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50

The Onion (A.V. Club) Nathan Rabin

Best known for "Notting Hill," Ifans remains a charming actor, but even his fine work can't get this lead zeppelin off the ground.

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50

Boston Globe Ty Burr

What you might call conditional whimsy, predicated on the audience overlooking so many plot implausibilities that it might get tuckered out from all the charity.

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50

San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hartlaub

Danny Deckchair offers some welcome cinematic comfort food in a summer filled with bloated special-effects movies and bad teen comedies.

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50

Chicago Reader Hank Sartin

Has an affable charm, but the script is paint by numbers.

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50

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

A splendid movie while its hero is preparing for his flight and actually experiencing it, but it's not nearly as interesting once he descends to earth.

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50

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

Meandering, forgettable trifle.

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40

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

It's a pleasant enough ride, certainly, but in the end it also has all the wicked emotional punch of Bill Cosby on Quaaludes.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 8.5 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes

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

Jack S. gave it a9:
A funny and quirky movie, very light hearted and super silly. What better way to spend a rainy day!

Peregrin gave it a9:
Hughie said it... lots of fun! This is not some indie film that is determined to be bleak. This is unadulterated happy stuff. You will turn off the TV smiling, unless you are craving something cerebral.

Hughie gave it a 7:
Lots of fun!

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