Being Flynn
Being Flynn Image
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Metascore
53 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 27 Critics What's this?

User Score
5.9 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 17 Ratings

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  • Starring: Dale Dickey, Julianne Moore, Lili Taylor, Olivia Thirlby, Paul Dano, Robert De Niro
  • Summary: The movie explores bonds both unbreakable and fragile between parent and child. Paul Dano portrays Nick Flynn, a young writer seeking to define himself. He misses his late mother, Jody, and her loving nature. But his father, Jonathan, is not even a memory, as Nick has not seen the man in 18 years. Jonathan Flynn has long defined himself as a great writer, “a master storyteller.” Suddenly facing eviction from his apartment, Jonathan impulsively reaches out to Nick and the two come face-to-face. (Focus Features)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 27
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 27
  3. Negative: 3 out of 27
  1. NPR
    Reviewed by: Bob Mondello
    Mar 5, 2012
    80
    And then there's the simple fact of De Niro, playing a delusional taxi driver. It's easy to imagine Being Flynn's story turning precious in the wrong hands, but Weitz and his cast spin it just right - as a narrative that is both emotionally real, and just writerly enough to suit its leading men.
  2. Movieline
    Reviewed by: Stephanie Zacharek
    Mar 1, 2012
    60
    There's no doubt that Being Flynn is an attempt at something painful and genuine – the movie itself yearns to make a connection, even if it can't quite locate the most effective channels.
  3. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marjorie Baumgarten
    Mar 21, 2012
    50
    On the whole, the film feels detached and morose, just like its characters.
  4. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    Mar 2, 2012
    38
    The real coup de grace for this would-be serious-minded drama is the sledgehammer-subtle direction of Paul Weitz (who is also the screenwriter), who enabled his star's paycheck mugging in the execrable "Little Fockers."

See all 27 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 6
  3. Negative: 1 out of 6
  1. hootis
    8
    I like things like this that have their roots in real life, interesting to see what some people have to go through, worth watching nothing amazing cinematic wise, a good story though. And life is about having stories to tell.… Expand
  2. BKM
    5
    Being Flynn is a dark and unpleasant film about the deeply fractured relationship between an aspiring writer and his alcoholic father. That may sound like the basis for a deeply moving story about redemption and second chances, but writer/director Paul Weitz is so determined to avoid sentiment and easy answers that he drains the movie of any real feeling. Still, Dano and DeNiro are very good in the lead roles and the beautiful score by Badly Drawn Boy helps to keep it from being unwatchable.… Expand
  3. MarcDoyle
    4
    The film has some interesting moments and sheds some empathetic light on the plight of the homeless, but DeNiro's character is just so arrogant and annoying that he makes the film almost unwatchable. There's not enough of a payoff for having to endure all of the father's crap. Olivia Thirlby is good in a smallish role, and Lily Taylor is awesome in a very quick appearance - almost playing a grown-up version of her character in Say Anything. Paul Dano is somewhat interesting an unpredictable, but even his "shortcomings" made me groan a bit.… Expand
  4. jdicksteihn
    4
    Every movie I watch Paul Dano in reinforces what an amazing director Paul Thomas Anderson is. That he was able to get a dynamic performance out of Dano in There Will Be Blood is a miraculous feat when you consider Dano's other work. Being Flynn is case in point. Dano plays the character with a grim seriousness that doesn't help the already melancholy tone of this movie. A role that should have many levels, and be played with some irony to counterbalance the darkness, is instead played with a one-note monotonous sadness. The end result is a character who feels way more sorry for himself than we do, and a story with a big hole where its male lead should be. Robert De Niro is heroic enough to overplay his role, to make up for the void at the center of the picture, and give us some entertainment value. But the end effect for him is that he appears to many critics as conspicuous and flashy. The real culprit is Dano, who doesn't crack a smile for the entirety of the film and who ensures that we don't either.… Expand

See all 6 User Reviews

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