Basket, The

LA Weekly Hazel-Dawn Dumpert

Well-acted, briskly paced and prettily photographed, the film is a mild-mannered family story with a caring heart, and that's ultimately enough to make its 104 minutes worthwhile.

Film.com John Hartl

The most popular entry in last year's Seattle International Film Festival family series.

Film.com Ted Fry

Accomplished, ambitious, and great-looking.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

As warm and reassuring as grandma's hugs.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

Woven from such promising threads that you wish it was better.

The New York Times Stephen Holden

Avoids succumbing to the preachiness that is the bane of so many family films, and for a movie like this, that's no small feat.

Los Angeles Times Robin Rauzi

It may be a hard sell to the Gameboy generation, but The Basket has charms that may be more evident to adults.

Chicago Tribune John Petrakis

It gussies up the tale with so many random subplots that by the time we cut through the morass, the film is over.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

Amiable though slow-going.

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Would be solid family entertainment if it weren't for the funereal pacing, which may kill its appeal among young audiences.

Village Voice Emily Borrow

Combines the wholesomeness of "Old Yeller" with the moral and physical claustrophobia of "The Waltons."

San Francisco Examiner Walter Addiego

Earnest and kid-friendly -- also simplistic and dramatically creaky.

New York Daily News Jack Mathews

You have no idea how determined director Rich Cowan is to suck the last drop of sap out of this tree.

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

Clunky and obvious.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

A contrived and sentimental melodrama, the film takes a promising premise and crushes it with mind-numbing repetition, sophomoric conveniences, plastic acting and the worst score, perhaps, ever heard.

TV Guide Ken Fox

Despite the overplotting, there's scarcely any of the characterization that might have made some of it interesting.