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Heartbreakers
MGM


6.8

based on 32 reviews
Read critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

based on 11 votes
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FILM:

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for sex-related content including dialogue

Starring Sigourney Weaver, Jennifer Love Hewitt, Ray Liotta, Jason Lee, Jeffrey Jones, Gene Hackman, Nora Dunn, and Anne Bancroft

Max (Weaver) and Page (Love Hewitt) are a brilliant mother/daughter con team who have their grift down to a fine science. Max targets wealthy, willing men who fall prey to her beauty and charm, and marries them. The equally gorgeous Page then seduces them. (MGM)

GENRE(S):	Romance
WRITTEN BY:	Robert Dunn Paul Guay Stephen Mazur
DIRECTED BY:	David Mirkin
RELEASE DATE:	DVD: October 2, 2001 Video: October 2, 2001 Theatrical: March 23, 2001
RUNNING TIME:	128 minutes, Color
ORIGIN:	USA

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...

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Heartbreakers is "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" plus Gene Hackman as W.C. Fields. I guess that's enough to recommend it. It's not a great comedy, but it's a raucous one, hard-working and ribald, and I like its spirit.

Salon.com Charles Taylor

Mirkin hits just the right note between naughty and raunchy.

LA Weekly Chuck Wilson

Although the film is a tad long, Mirkin ("Romy and Michele's High School Reunion") has managed to pull off a classy, gently funny movie in which no one throws up, a rare blessing these days.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

It's not a pretty picture, but it is a pretty funny one when Gene Hackman shows up as William B. Tensy, a Palm Beach tobacco tycoon.

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

As Hollywood diversions go, this gleaming MGM release still leaves you wishing the filmmakers took as many risks as their grifters do.

The New York Times Dana Stevens

Naughty is an outdated word in an era of proud nastiness, but Heartbreakers has a slinky, teasing quality that recalls the dressed-up comedies of the studio era.

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

Crudely entertaining comedy.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

Heartbreakers is too long by a half-hour, and there are entire sketches (including a horrid nightclub sequence with Weaver trying to sing in Russian) that could be mercifully sacrificed.

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

Heartbreakers itself is something of a con game: an expensive imitation of older, better films from older, often better times.

Chicago Reader Reece Pendleton

Despite its nasty facade, this comedy is surprisingly good-natured.

Slate David Edelstein

Con-artist caper comedies are almost always piffle, but there's a fierce, cruel competition at the heart of Heartbreakers that gives it some bite.

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

It's an obvious effort through and through, but that doesn't seem to dampen its ridiculous charm one bit.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

To its credit, Heartbreakers lives up to expectations. Almost.

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Never tickles your nasty bone, perhaps because, in an era when the gossip pages are dotted with news of celebrity prenups, the prospect of marriage as a route to instant fortune seems less scandalous than it does like business as usual.

Boston Globe Jay Carr

Cries out for the brisk pacing of a Sturges or a Wilder. As is, it's too lumpish, languid, and lukewarm to hit even the guilty pleasure zone.

Washington Post Rita Kempley

A sporadically amusing romp modeled on "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels."

Dallas Observer Gregory Weinkauf

Heartbreakers' implausible level of comedy just grows tedious, as it's neither smartly witty nor full-throttle absurd.

Film.com Sean Means

Hewitt's twin assets may be enough for a lot of moviegoers -- which may be the biggest con Heartbreakers pulls off.

USA Today Susan Wloszczyna

The nasty, overlong and undisciplined sourball of a sex farce about a mother-daughter con team will nonetheless satisfy bigenerational libidinous fantasies.

San Francisco Chronicle Edward Guthmann

Lacks the kind of rhythm and snap to make it work -- and allows this fitfully entertaining romp to dribble on way too long.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

If you're going to serve up a half-baked idea, you might as well have Sigourney Weaver do the cooking.

Miami Herald Curtis Morgan

When the youngsters are out of the way and old pros Hackman and Weaver work, it's hard to really dislike Heartbreakers. Sometimes, it's even a little bit of harmless fun.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

While in her earlier movies Jennifer Love Hewitt made an impression by spilling out of her tops, in this one she spills out of her clothes at both ends. This could, if one were feeling charitable, be construed as a broadening of her range.

Mr. Showbiz Cody Clark

Folks who are desperate to ogle Hewitt and Weaver probably can't be warned off this turkey.

Washington Post Desson Thomson

Trust me, you'll want to leave these people to get on with their tedious scams alone.

Variety Todd McCarthy

Overstays its welcome by at least a half-hour after never getting very high off the ground in the first place.

New York Post Jonathan Foreman

Despite its talented and/or attractive cast, Heartbreakers is an ugly movie: The kind that makes you feel slightly soiled afterwards.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

A limp and annoying picture.

Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern

There's nothing wrong with the structure of Heartbreakers, but David Mirkin's direction is woefully clumsy -- and the movie's tone is nasty.

Village Voice Jessica Winter

Heartbreakers gives redemption a bad name, but gives conniving misanthropy a worse one.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

It's a sorry specimen if ever there was one, and could even stand as an argument for how the movies have deteriorated in recent years.

New York Magazine Peter Rainer

What is the great Gene Hackman doing in the dingbat con-artist comedy Heartbreakers.

The average user rating for this movie is 6.8 (out of 10) based on 11 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Hugo A. gave it a10:
I Love That Wonderfull Actress And Singer She Is So Pritty.

michael h. gave it a7:
I just loved looking at jennifer love hewitt in all those short little dresses. couldn't take my eyes off her.

Andrew M. gave it a 7:
I have said before that some folks seem to take certain movies way too seriously. This is a comedy, a coarse, mischievious, shady film that, while open to some criticism, should not be taken nor analysed too seriously. A question: While it may not be better than Dirty, Rotten Scoundrels, is it any more immoral or wrong, or worthy of strong criticism? I think not. It's a laughable film, but a very enjoyable one, with great performances all round. Ray Liotta is a standout, and Weaver, Hackman, Bancroft and Lee revel in their roles. Hewitt, I thought, was superb. Her acting was top notch in this film and what more can one say but...hubba hubba...hubba!

Benha* Meneses S. gave it a 6:
Even if this comedy uses some of the most common cliches ("There is just one man") and stereotypes applied to both men and women (the neediness of men to find someone to 'take care of' and the impediment of turning down an attractive female, the interest of women to 'be protected', and a long etc.) it has a strong message that redeems all the earlier. There is a massive consciousness awakening that let us see through the actions of the characters. As well there's Jason Lee's character that without being a wimp he takes the risk that loving someone represents (all the characters assume that risk eventually) and victimizing himself. It's quite refreshing to see a character with integrity in a comedy that has 'romantic' tendencies in it. Even if classified as a comedy I found some scenes truly confronting and well acted (like when Mrs. Madress watches the repulsion that Tensy causes in Ulga). Gene Hackman and Ray Liotta are excellent in their respective parts.

Nick S. gave it a 4:
This film was barely entertaining. Ray Liotta saved this film. I was just waiting all the time for him to return to the screen. His performance as well as Hackman's were pure comedic genius. Sigourney was extremely dry and Jennifer Love overacted as usual. But it was nice to see her in a more grownup role. Or more specifically, showing more cleavage and just plain skin.

Matt S. gave it an 8:
Top movie. One of the best this year. Ray Liotta kicked ass and so did the rest of the gang. A good watch and has a good feel to it.

Aggie H. gave it a 10:
It was a great movie. I never stopped laughing throughout the entire movie. It was excellent!

Heartbreakers MGM

Heartbreakers
MGM