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Pretty Persuasion
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MPAA RATING: Not Rated
Starring Evan Rachel Wood, James Woods, Ron Livingston, Adi Schnall, Jane Krakowski, Selma Blair, Danny Comden, and Elisabeth Harnois
In this sophisticated comedy, Evan Rachel Wood plays Kimberly Joyce, and insanely intelligent, wildly funny, shockingly cruel and sexy-beyond-her-years Beverly Hills teenager who will stop at nothing to become famous. (Samuel Goldwyn Films)
| GENRE(S): | Comedy | Drama |
| WRITTEN BY: | Skander Halim |
| DIRECTED BY: | Marcos Siega |
| RELEASE DATE: |
DVD: December 13, 2005 Theatrical: August 12, 2005 |
| RUNNING TIME: | 104 minutes, Color |
| ORIGIN: | USA |
Nominated, Grand Jury Prize (Dramatic), 2005 Sundance Film Festival
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...
The average user rating for this movie is 8.0 (out of 10) based on 17 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
Chad S. gave it a5:
At first, "Pretty Persuasion" seems like a "Heathers"-wanna-be. In both films, the protagonist wants to be a good person. But when we arrive at the final scene, it's hard not to see this mean-spirited teen comedy as a sort of "In the Company of [Teenage Girls]". Kimberly is Chad(Aaron Eckhart in the Neal LaBute film) in a skirt. What happens to Randa(Adi Schnall) is too heavy-handed; too serious a truth about Muslim attitudes towards their girls who besmirch the family's "good" name, in a film that uses the Arab teen as color. And what Brittany(Elisabeth Harnois) performs at a school-play rehearsal is about as unlikely as Meg Ryan's fake orgasm in "When Harry Met Sally". It's very unpleasant. "Pretty Persuasion" also needlessly tells its story in a non-linear fashion, and trades the world of teenage girls for the world of courtrooms to the detriment of the "teen film"-genre it's trying to skewer.
Ariel G. gave it a9:
Very sharp satire about high school life in these current times. Evan Rachel Wood shone in her dual role as the good girl and the schemer. There are parts in this movie which may offend some racial groups, so be wary. Offensive language and simulated sex scenes are featured occasionally - Don't watch it with your parents, unless you want to cringe with embarassment. But do see it if you're a fan of biting comedies and satirical high school movies like Election.
Jane A. gave it a10:
It's Clever and Funny and Harsh. Well-written. Incisive look at highschool and contemporary attitudes.
J S gave it a3:
It's not that it was offensive, it was that it wasn't funny. Michael Hitchcock gave the most laughs and he was only in about 3 scenes. Perhaps it is that he is actually good at comedy? It probably isn't fair to dismiss the rest of the cast as talentless, so maybe it was the direction and screenplay. Speaking of the screenplay, it seemed as if about half the movie was written at a computer and the other half was written at a dart board. Halfway or 2/3rs through it just falls apart into random scenes that make desperate attempts at being meaningful and heartfelt. Only they come off as random and desperate. I think the film's major problem is that it ultimately wasn't absurd or subtle. Cartmen of South Park is funny because he is so extremely offensive. Other comedies are funny because they are subtle and thought provoking. This film sits in between the two; crass as it may be, the offensive material doesn't go far enough. The screenplay writer will say he was trying to make real people, not absurdities. That's fine, but none of these people are at all believable and even if they were, they wouldn't be funny.
na na gave it a10:
Excellent portrayal of issues plaguing modern youth. Many significant themes weave through this must-see (perhaps more than once) film, some subtle, and some not-so-subtle.
Annie M gave it a3:
The only good thing about the film is Evan RAchel Wood but she still can't save the terrible directing.
david o. gave it a9:
Hot, funny, nasty great date movie.

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