User Score
8.9 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 8 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8

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  1. JacE
    Aug 17, 2007
    10
    Loved it!! It made me laugh, it made me cry; what more can you ask for?
  2. AnthonyS.
    Jul 30, 2001
    9
    While dealing with a deft hand, often light hearted, this movie has profoundly important subtexts and themes that go to the heart of a free country's penal system.
  3. StevenS.
    Sep 22, 2001
    9
    We felt great while watching it, and were still feeling energized when thinking about it weeks latter. If you're human and looking for such an experience, this should be a 9+. Don't go expecting more, while there is a lot going on subtle & deep - especially through Clive Owen & Helen Mirren.
  4. DonnaA.
    Mar 5, 2005
    8
    I really liked this movie. Sure is was sappy. Sometimes sappy can be good. And lets face it. It is ever so nice to look at Clive Owen even in prison clothes.
  5. JohnD.
    Jul 27, 2001
    10
    Great.
Metascore

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 25
  2. Negative: 5 out of 25
  1. 50
    Unambitious and transparent, but that doesn't mean it won't warm the hearts of audiences on both sides of the Atlantic.
  2. 40
    Watching this movie go through its simplistic dramatic motions, you begin to understand why some actors stick to summer stock and live Ibsen revivals.
  3. 20
    Ought to have been called "The Sap Also Rises."