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Dedication
User Score
8.0 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 5 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 5
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 5
  3. Negative: 0 out of 5

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  1. ChadS.
    Mar 1, 2008
    7
    When South African novelist Doris Lessing("The Golden Notebook") won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2007, Erica Jong, author of "The Fear of Flying", wrote that "they could have given it to Philip Roth for paeans to his penis," which brings us to "Dedication". Henry Roth(Billy Crudup) is celibate(when he's not careful, he leaves a human stain). He writes children's "literature". Lucy Reilly(Mandy Moore), an illustrator by default, entered the profession after she outlived her usefulness as a self-important thesis adviser's muse. Reilly shares the same surname as Valerie Martin, the author of "Mary Reilly"; the lesser Reilly, a PhD candidate for English literature, wanted to distance herself("as far as possible," she tells Henry) from the world of important books. Another name with literary allusions, another inside joke, "Dedication" is funnier than you think. In children's literature, the target demographic tends to be more scrutinizing about pictures than words. Henry is disposable. His maladjusted persona seems better fitted for a man who writes real literature. All that neuroses is wasted on a beaver named Bucky. Henry's machismo and hubris seems disproportionate to his literary talent. "Dedication" is "Pollock" of a lesser god. For sure, he's Roth of a lesser god. Lucy, formally trained in uncovering meaning behind objects, will have no problems figuring out the root of beaver.… Expand
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  2. JayH.
    Feb 6, 2008
    5
    This movie is slow as molasses. The performances are appealing and the cinematography is attractively done, nice score and editing, but the writing was uninspiring and tedious.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
50 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 19 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 19
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 19
  3. Negative: 5 out of 19
  1. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Zack Haddad
    70
    This is a decent flick, it is just I have seen this a few times before.
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  2. Variety
    Reviewed by: Todd McCarthy
    50
    Individual scenes in actor Justin Theroux's directorial debut possess a certain flair, but the central issue on which the story turns -- how obnoxious and mean-spirited can you be and still get someone to love you? -- presents a forbidding obstacle.
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  3. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Aaron Hillis
    30
    "Inland Empire's" Justin Theroux pops his directorial cherry with this obnoxious Sundance throwaway, a by-the-numbers romantic comedy that mistakenly believes it's either too quirky or too irreverent to be a by-the-numbers romantic comedy.
    Read full review
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