The Baxter
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Metascore
51 out of 100

Mixed or average reviews - based on 22 Critics What's this?

User Score
6.9 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 9 Ratings

Your Score
0 out of 10
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  • Starring: Elizabeth Banks, Michael Showalter, Peter Dinklage
  • Summary: The Baxter is a romantic comedy set in Brooklyn about Elliot Sherman, "the wrong guy," an accountant, who seems always to be getting left at the altar. (IFC Films)

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 22
  2. Mixed: 13 out of 22
  3. Negative: 3 out of 22
  1. Philadelphia Inquirer
    Reviewed by: Steven Rea
    75
    No great shakes, The Baxter nonetheless has a quiet loopiness going for it. And it has the absence of a laugh track going for it, too.
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Carina Chocano
    60
    A tender love story and a dead-on lampoon of the genre, but its main drawback is that Showalter is egregiously miscast in the title role.
  3. TV Guide
    Reviewed by: Maitland McDonagh
    60
    This wry, low-key comedy, crafted by members of the sketch-comedy group The State, swims defiantly against the stream of contemporary comedy, eschewing bodily-function jokes and obvious gags in favor of laughs so sly and self-effacing you could almost overlook them.
  4. Premiere
    Reviewed by: Peter Debruge
    38
    As coincidence would have it, Steve Carell's "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" spun comedy gold from a similar idea just last week. Virgin shares not only The Baxter's basic premise, but also two of its key cast members (Paul Rudd and the beautiful Ms. Banks), allowing audiences to see just how much better The Baxter might have been if Showalter had given us some reason to identify with his socially awkward protagonist.

See all 22 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 1 out of 6
  1. TomV.
    10
    This is the most innovative romantic comedy that I've ever seen, with witty writing to match the unique plot. The acting is solid all around, but special praise goes to Michelle Williams for a character that is shy and assertive in just the right blend.… Expand
  2. SamS.
    9
    Three of us, ranging in age from 25 to 43, saw this movie together. We all thought it was delightful and enjoyable. Sometimes, ignore the reviews and just go see a movie anyway!!!… Expand
  3. C.B.Browne
    7
    This movie is solid. Romantic comedies are usually lame. This has a few edgy moments and a unique story. Michelle Williams, Justin Theroux & Peter Dinklage are very good in their roles.… Expand
  4. GregS.
    3
    I'm a huge Showalter fan, specifically Stella and Wet Hot American Summer. I'm not oppossed to him making a more serious type of film, it's just sad to watch him do it so poorly. The premise is interesting, but the execution is awkward, halted, and at times completely unbelieveable. The only funny parts are when it's obvious the very talented Paul Rudd, David Wain, and Michael Ian Black are ad-libbing. Showalter should have handed this script to a more capable director, and then watched from the sidelines.… Expand

See all 6 User Reviews

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