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Dorian Blues
Metascore
52 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 16 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 16
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 16
  3. Negative: 1 out of 16
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  1. The A.V. Club
    Reviewed by: Nathan Rabin
    70
    Dorian Blues covers extremely familiar territory, but does so with low-key wit and ingratiating charm.
  2. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Lou Lumenick
    63
    Eschews the heavy sexual content (and most of the clichés) of so many gay films -- it also has a lot of heart.
  3. The Hollywood Reporter
    Reviewed by: Frank Scheck
    60
    Inconsequential but intermittently charming.
  4. Dallas Observer
    Reviewed by: Melissa Levine
    60
    Its smarmy resolution just doesn't work; the lessons learned are a bit too medicinal. But we're willing to forgive, since it's otherwise a good-natured and enjoyable ride.
  5. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Thomas
    60
    With its moments of comic relief overly exaggerated and at odds with its realistic tone, Dorian Blues is at its best at its most serious.
  6. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Janet Maslin
    60
    With some gentle humor that will delight the "Napoleon Dynamite" set, Dorian Blues lights a natural little footpath between two ways of living.
  7. Variety
    Reviewed by: Dennis Harvey
    60
    Sharp performances and writing lend it a fresh appeal well above this genre's average.
  8. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Ann Hornaday
    60
    It doesn't open up much new territory, except to eschew much of the dark, frank sexuality that has characterized such recent sexual coming-of-age movies as "Mysterious Skin." Instead, Bardwell offers a cheerful, if sometimes strenuously earnest, take on a subject that seems overdue for a lighthearted touch.
  9. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: Joshua Katzman
    60
    Bardwell manages a sincere portrait of what it's like to be young and closeted.
  10. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    50
    The buoyant McMillan is a charming presence, but he's entirely miscast as a character described as moody and angry.
  11. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Neva Chonin
    50
    Doesn't transcend the yawner template of coming-out films.
  12. Boston Globe
    Reviewed by: Wesley Morris
    50
    Even if the story is hackneyed, it's hackneyed in a warm and universal way.
  13. Austin Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Marjorie Baumgarten
    50
    The movie's third act goes astray as the storyline shifts to Dorian's dating problems, which seem an overextended tangent to his coming-out story. Still, the film has a lot of playful dialogue and pixillated montages.
  14. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ernest Hardy
    50
    Dorian Blues is full of similarly rigged moments, but there are genuine chuckles, and a palpably heartfelt final scene between Dorian and his mom ends the tale on a powerful note.
  15. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Danial Adkison
    50
    Inhabiting the breezeway between the sweet sincerity of "Beautiful Thing" and the didacticism of an ABC "Afterschool Special," this upstate New York coming-out saga will warm PFLAG hearts and kindle empathy in those who've had to tread the family-drama-churned waters of small-town gaydom.
  16. Film Threat
    Reviewed by: Phil Hall
    20
    Has a terrible air of been-there/done-that.
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.3 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 4 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. BillB.
    5
    It's sad to realize that Dorian Blues had the potential to be a great movie. Dorian is the most inhibited gay character ever on film. There is nothing about him that suggests he's gay. The brother Nicky actually tries to de-homofy him by teaching him to act straight, which is very wrong and very homophobic. The whole heterofying aspect of this movie ruins it. Otherwise there are great lines in the movie and thoughtfulness throughout that had the potential to make this into a great film. Obviously this movie is too cozy for straights. It was not made for gays but for straights.… Full Review »
  2. alejandroc.
    9
    My friends and I stumbled upon this movie and thought it was just wonderful. Its like a homemade cake, flawed yes, but so much better than the mass produced stuff. I'm surprized by the lukewarm critical reaction. All of us saw a little of ourselves in this film, and it made us laugh. That's a big accomplishement in and of itself!… Full Review »
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