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Duck
Right Brained Releasing

Duck reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 53 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
6.6 out of 10
based on 7 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
based on 6 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for brief strong language

Starring Philip Baker Hall, Bill Brochtrup, Amy Hill, Noel Gugliemi, French Stewart, and Bill Cobbs

In 2009, when Los Angeles' last city park is closed to the public, a dispossessed man -- and the duck who follows him as a mother -- quest west, on foot, in search of water and meaning, in the desert that is L.A. (Right Brained Releasing)


GENRE(S): Drama  
WRITTEN BY: Nicole Bettauer  
DIRECTED BY: Nicole Bettauer  
RELEASE DATE: Theatrical: May 11, 2007 
RUNNING TIME: 96 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
Film Threat Rory L. Aronsky
The most touching moments come from Amy Hill as Linh, who runs a nail salon located next to a strip of long-forgotten Hollywood Walk of Fame stars.
Read Full Review
70
Variety Lisa Nesselson
A small, affecting road movie peopled with sharp vignettes.
Read Full Review
63
New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman
The thin, whimsical story is really better suited to a short film, but Hall deserves a lot of credit for carrying off such unusual material.
Read Full Review
50
LA Weekly Chuck Wilson
Bettauer means for Arthur and Joe's adventures to be a fable about empathy and hope, but her tone shifts awkwardly between silly and ponderous.
Read Full Review
50
Los Angeles Times Kevin Crust
Writer-director Nic Bettauer hits upon some important themes, including homelessness, environmentalism and the plight of the elderly, but not enough care has gone into developing the subsidiary characters who merely come across as types.
Read Full Review
50
Boston Globe Mark Feeney
Writer-director Nic Bettauer can't decide whether to play Duck for tears or laughs.
Read Full Review
30
The New York Times Neil Genzlinger
The quirky characters they meet aren't quirky enough, and the political points Ms. Bettauer sprinkles into her script thud awkwardly.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 6.6 (out of 10) based on 6 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Jack C gave it a2:
A horribly-paced mess that takes itself way too seriously and favors cartoonish pathos over realistic emotion. The film never succeeded in making me sympathize with its protagonist due to the sheer heavy-handedness of the tragedies continually piled onto him, and every character he met (though some were well-acted) fell into one of three groups of cardboard cutouts. There were the kind, understanding people, the complete monsters, and the people who were in desperate need of Arthur's homespun cliche wisdom. I might appreciate the message of this film more if it hadn't completely driven me away with its shoddy construction.

Jay H gave it a6:
I loved the simplicity and pacing of the film. Well acted, sensitively directed and pleasant cinematography. It can be a bit slow moving, but overall it works.

Jim G. gave it a3:
Very disappointing, amateurish uneven hodgepodge. I have great regard for Philip Baker Hall but can't think of how he got sucked into this one. Seems like there was no one who spoke up and tried to edit the screenplay or provide some governing theme. Lots of bad acting, too. Yikes.

Thomas C. gave it a10:
This movie was incredibly inspiring and thought-provoking. It has stuck with me and made me think about not only my life, but also the state of our country, and the fact that we have become so thoughtless and defeated as Americans. When did we stop being compassionate? Philip Baker Hall knows all. See this movie!

Hugo C. gave it a9:
A poignant film about a man and his duck, Joe! The political aspect of the film is much more palpable than Happy Feet... A good film with a great message worth watching.

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