Advanced Search >
Help Me Search

Movies

Weekend Box Office
Film Awards & Top 10s By Year
All-Time High Scores
All-Time Low Scores
Best / Worst of the Decade

Wide Releases
Now In Theaters

sort by namesort by score

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Limited Releases
Now In Theaters

sort by namesort by score

Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed movies.

Sugar Town

EMAILPRINTOctober Films / USA Films

Sugar Town reviews
62
N/A User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 26 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 0 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >

Movie Info

Genre(s): Comedy

Written by: Allison Anders
Kurt Voss

Directed by: Allison Anders
Kurt Voss

Release Date:
Theatrical: September 17, 1999

Running Time: 92 minutes, Color

Origin: USA / UK

Summary

RATING: R for strong language, some drug content and sexuality

Starring Jade Gordon, Michael Des Barres, John Taylor, John Doe, Martin Kemp, Larry Klein, and Beverly D'Angelo

The film explores, in authentic detail, the Los Angeles music scene -- a treacherous world where people on every rung of the ladder exploit each other in pursuit of fame and success. (USA Films)

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...

100

Portland Oregonian Diana Abu-Jaber

The moments of accidental sweetness that emerge from these odd, ultra-lives are meltingly funny and touching.

Read Full Review >
90

LA Weekly John Patterson

Lovely, lovely, lovely.

Read Full Review >
88

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

A far more trenchant - and funnier - satire of the fame-afflicted than Woody Allen's "Celebrity."

Read Full Review >
80

Film.com John Hartl

A wry, rambling, smart comedy.

Read Full Review >
80

Newsweek David Ansen

(There's) a half dozen other deftly sketched show-biz desperadoes who make this slight but tangy sleeper such an unpretentious delight.

Read Full Review >
80

Dallas Observer Bill Gallo

Sugar Town's tunes are terrific, and the writing is sharp. But the typecasting is a work of genius.

Read Full Review >
80

The New York Times Janet Maslin

Warmly funny ...wise little comedy.

Read Full Review >
79

Mr. Showbiz Kevin Maynard

There's lots of sweet music to savor in this snide industry satire.

Read Full Review >
75

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Cuts between a rich assortment of characters; it's like a low-rent, on-the-fly version of Robert Altman's "The Player" or "Short Cuts."

Read Full Review >
75

San Francisco Chronicle Bob Graham

Isn't vicious. It's just cheerfully mocking as it courses the canyons and flatlands of Los Angeles.

Read Full Review >
75

New York Post Jonathan Foreman

A real pleasure, a sweet, funny, ensemble comedy...utterly authentic.

Read Full Review >
70

Salon.com Daniel Mangin

Isn't profound, but it is perceptive...it's a pile of fun.

Read Full Review >
70

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

Persuasive stylized drama.

Read Full Review >
67

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

That durable, sexy powerhouse Beverly D'Angelo steals every scene she's in.

Read Full Review >
67

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Paula Nechak

A shapeless comedy that is enjoyable to watch and often clever with its barbs -- and doesn't have very much to say.

Read Full Review >
63

USA Today Susan Wloszczyna

While entertaining with its swipes at everything from health food to the Latin pop craze, the semi-sweet story is about as deep and meaningful as a groupie grope.

Read Full Review >
63

Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington

Just because it's true to life doesn't mean it can sing.

Read Full Review >
63

Boston Globe Jay Carr

Likable, but at times it's also inescapably sketchy and ramshackle.

Read Full Review >
60

Washington Post Desson Thomson

May not rock the joint. But then, it isn't trying to.

Read Full Review >
60

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Never adds up to anything more substantial than shrewd observations. There's no dramatic core.

50

TNT RoughCut Graham Verdon

A hyped-down, no frills VH1 "Behind the Music" story...that is no doubt closer to reality than the fodder in the pages of "Rolling Stone."

50

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

Diverting and sometimes humorous but sticks to the superficial ...not distinctive enough to make much of an impression.

Read Full Review >
40

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

The performances are uneven and the loosely structured story never actually goes anywhere.

Read Full Review >
38

Baltimore Sun Ann Hornaday

An only fitfully engaging L.A. soap opera.

Read Full Review >
38

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

A bad Altman impression of the L.A. rock scene.

Read Full Review >
30

Village Voice Amy Taubin

Neither as lively nor as tough as the original, and compared to the hardcore punk of "Border Radio," the score for Sugar Town sounds like Muzak.

Read Full Review >

What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 0.0 (out of 10) based on 0 User Votes

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

Popular on CBS sites: College Signing Day | Olympics | Lost | iPhone | Cell Phones | Video Game Reviews | Free Music

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2010 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy (UPDATED) | Terms of Use