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Mysteries of Pittsburgh, The

EMAILPRINTPeace Arch Entertainment

Mysteries of Pittsburgh, The reviews
38
5.0 User Score:

Generally unfavorable reviews

Based on 15 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 5 votes
Read user comments
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Adventure  |  Comedy  |  Drama

Written by: Michael Chabon (novel)
Rawson Marshall Thurber

Directed by: Rawson Marshall Thurber

Release Date:
Theatrical: April 10, 2009
DVD: August 4, 2009

Running Time: 95 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: R for strong sexuality, nudity and language

Starring Jon Foster, Sienna Miller, Peter Sarsgaard, Mena Suvari, and Nick Nolte

During the summer after his college graduation, Art Bechstein tries to break free from his stern father and his web of gangland connections when he meets Jane Bellweather , at tortured beauty, and her boyfriend, Cleveland Arning, a small-time street hood with seductive delusions of grandeur. The cast is rounded out by Art’s boss and part-time girlfriend Phlox. (Groundswell Production)

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

The Hollywood Reporter Duane Byrge

In the film's most flamboyant role, Peter Sarsgaard's devil-ish charisma and cold bluster is frightening.

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70

Variety Dennis Harvey

The full warmth and idiosyncrasy of Chabon's original is missed in an adaptation that feels more impersonally observed. But Lawson's pic, (with the director making a left turn from prior feature "Dodgeball," which he says was a money gig undertaken to hasten this dream project) is entertaining and involving enough on its own terms.

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60

Film Threat Jamie Tipps

Disappointed fans of Michael Chabon will have to watch "Wonder Boys" for solace, for The Mysteries of Pittsburgh boasts only one core mystery: how one can take such promising material and render it completely unmemorable?

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50

Washington Post Dan Zak

Pleasant-to-watch, easily forgotten drama.

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50

San Francisco Chronicle David Wiegand

Earnest but unconvincing film.

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50

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

Remember the final page of Gatsby, a real American tragedy, when the green light beckons us into an ever-receding future? Now that was a mystery. This is, well, Pittsburgh.

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50

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

The movie is all the more artificial because it has been made with great, almost painful, earnestness.

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42

The Onion (A.V. Club) Keith Phipps

Only Sarsgaard shows a pulse, creating a self-destructive, omnisexual rogue who, for all his faults, would probably be great company. The same can't be said for the film around him.

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40

New York Daily News Joe Neumaier

Marries an unengaging love triangle to a flat visual style, nearly squashing the one good thing in it -- a scruffy, slouching performance from Peter Sarsgaard.

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38

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

A coming-of-ager that nearly slaughters you by minute 30 with the relentlessness of its protagonist's voiceovers.

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38

Boston Globe Wesley Morris

Almost nothing works in this movie.

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38

New York Post Lou Lumenick

You know a movie's got problems when the most memo rable thing about it is Sienna Miller's mustache.

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30

The New York Times A.O. Scott

A clumsy and confused adaptation of Michael Chabon's 1988 novel.

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25

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

A stillborn rendering of Michael Chabon's first novel.

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20

Village Voice Nick Pinkerton

Mena Suvari, as Art's vindictive ex-fuckbuddy, gives sole signs of life--Miller is so void of presence that one can forget she's in the movie from scene to scene.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 5.0 (out of 10) based on 5 User Votes

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

Levi K gave it a1:
Director Thurber and lead Foster really had to work overtime to mess this one up so badly. I can't believe Chabon consented to this script. The second most important character in the novel (Arthur Lecompte) was cut entirely, which through the remaining storyline and characters off completely. What remains is a well shot and poorly acted cliche, with the exception of Sarsgaard's work. Blah. The real tragedy is not that I wasted my time and money on this, but that I'll never be able to see one of my favorite novels adapted into the fine film it was destined to be. Thurber should stick to what he does best-- Dodgeball II, anyone?

Sean F gave it a7:
Not sure why this was panned by the critics. Not as good as Wonder Boys, but better than the majority of Hollywood fare. I hadn't seen Peter Sarsgaard or Sienna Miller in a comedic role before, both I think have further potential in that arena. The main character (Jon Foster), I did not know, and have not seen before, but he did a more than adequate job in this film as well. This has not been a great season for DVD's IMO, so this is a good rental among the limited selections for the summer of 2009.

Jay H. gave it a5:
Nicely acted, but the movie is just fair. It's well enough done, it has a polished and professional look to it. The story just didn't always hold my interest. Nice cinematography.

Dwayne B gave it a2:
Missed the tone of the novel completely, distorting characters relationships, motivations and even sexual orientations. Did Thurber even read the novel? Or just the dust jacket? A hatchet job.

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