Tao of Steve, The

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas

A constant, idiosyncratic pleasure that leaves us eager to see what the Goodmans and Logue will do next.

Boston Globe Jay Carr

One of the year's most winning performances, Logue's Dex will grow on you as he stumbles toward emotional fullness.

Rolling Stone Peter Travers

Logue hits every note of humor and heart in his breakthrough role. Don't miss him. He's that good.

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum

It's a tiny, sunny character study about a fat guy who's an unlikely chick magnet. And as such it's a pip.

Slate David Edelstein

Went down like a slice of warm pecan pie topped with two scoops of Ben and Jerry's Bovinity Divinity.

Washington Post Rita Kempley

Warmhearted, wonderfully witty.

Washington Post Michael O'Sullivan

Wise, funny, sweet, sexy and kind.

Film.com Sean Means

An offbeat delight.

New York Post Jonathan Foreman

An ideal antidote to the big-budget bores that studios put out in late summer, The Tao of Steve is a charming, funny and refreshingly smart Gen-X romantic comedy in the tradition of "When Harry Met Sally" - with the bonus of an engagingly laid-back Southwestern flavor.

Baltimore Sun Chris Kaltenbach

A welcome anomaly - a shallow hero you root for.

Seattle Post-Intelligencer William Arnold

Like most films in this overworked genre, it's as formulaic in its own way as a John Wayne western, and the characters and situations all have a gnawing predictability about them.

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

The picture is Logue's entirely, and without him, it might not be worth a visit.

Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt

Logue's magnetic performance is the movie's main virtue, supported by a good secondary cast and a sharply written screenplay.

New York Daily News Jami Bernard

Outside of the leads, the acting is uneven, but The Tao of Steve has an unquenchable playful spirit.

USA Today Staff [Not Credited]

This quirky, winning sleeper from first-time director Jenniphr Goodman has its pokey moments, but it's no insult to say that it is as pleasantly easygoing as its slacker hero.

Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea

Loose, eminently likable stuff.

San Francisco Chronicle Mick LaSalle

A modest but charming romantic comedy.

Mr. Showbiz Kevin Maynard

A charming movie.

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

One of the things I like about the movie is the wit of its dialogue, the way sentences and conversations coil with confidence up to a conclusion that is totally unexpected.

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

So adorable you don't ever mind that the story's so slight it's in danger of shriveling up and blowing away, or that it drags a little in the middle.

Dallas Observer Gregory Weinkauf

Since the narrative's destination is awkwardly obvious, and the tone occasionally melts into a sticky-sweet mess like cotton candy in the sun, the movie is most often saved by its generous helpings of clever dialogue.

Film.com Robert Horton

A crowd pleaser, but there's something a bit prim and pre-determined about its conclusions.

The New York Times A.O. Scott

Can't redeem the moves toward its predictable happy ending. But the movie has a protagonist who has a great time getting there.

Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman

Far too clever for its own good.

Chicago Tribune John Petrakis

The problem is that we never see Dex employing the Steve technique to bed a female.

San Francisco Examiner Wesley Morris

The vibe is acoustic-cafe: cute, catchy and ironic given its wimpy point of view.

Chicago Reader Lisa Alspector

The clunky plot is set in Santa Fe, and includes a foil character who might as well wear a sign on his forehead.

Village Voice Jessica Winter

Can any American filmmaker other than the Farrellys make a rom-com in which the principals engage in activities apart from the tiresomely tireless dissection of rom?

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

It's the kind of film you feel like watching twice -- not because you found it that engaging to begin with, but because you didn't, and everyone else did.

LA Weekly Paul Malcolm

It's amazing that anyone still thinks this kind of shit can fly.