Beautiful Girls

Name: Beautiful Girls
Genre: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Released: February 9, 1996
Duration: 112 min
Rating: 64
Cast: Matt Dillon, Timothy Hutton

1996

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 18 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Universal acclaim based on 51 Ratings

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8.6

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8.6	User Score Universal acclaim based on 51 Ratings

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Beautiful Girls

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Movie Details & Credits

Miramax Films | Release Date: February 9, 1996 | R

Starring: Matt Dillon, Timothy Hutton

Summary: An all-star cast sparks this comedy about a group of old friends whose 10-year high school reunion creates some unexpected surprises. (Miramax)

Director: Ted Demme

Genre(s): Drama, Comedy, Romance

Rating: R

Runtime: 112 min

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Critic Reviews

Richard Schickel

Beautiful Girls is always in touch with reality but never drowned in it. [19 February 1996, p.64]

Rita Kempley

Tender, touching and downright delightful. Read full review

Peter Travers

What saves director Ted Demme's comic talkfest from sitcom slickness is a quirky script by Scott Rosenberg and an appealing cast. Read full review

Steve Davis

With beauty and talent to spare, Portman is something to behold: It's as if Elizabeth Taylor and Jodie Foster were somehow genetically melded at an early age. She's definitely a beautiful girl to watch for. Read full review

TV Guide Magazine Staff (Not credited)

Wavers between being condescending and downright preposterous, but there are redeeming moments. Read full review

James Berardinelli

Despite its name, Beautiful Girls is actually about a group of irritating, twenty-something males whose adolescent attitudes have remained with them well into adulthood. Read full review

Barbara Shulgasser

Something in Hutton's wounded puppy look always communicates an untapped intelligence or wasted potential, both of which are perfect for this role. Read full review

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User Reviews

TylerDurden900

Jul 20, 2014

Beautiful Girls is an excellent comedy drama with a popular cast. Uma Thurman, Matt Dillon, Natalie
Portman and Mira Sorvino are just some of the actors in the movie. The movie is a wonderful movie to
watch with your significant other, friends or family.

3 of 6 users found this helpful33

TheGermanGeezer

Dec 12, 2020

This is the first review I write on Metacritic as I watched the movie yesterday night for the umpteenth time an just felt like giving my two cents:

Even though I should have outgrown it as it revolves mainly around characters in their late 20s, it doesn’t feel like that at all. In fact it’sThis is the first review I write on Metacritic as I watched the movie yesterday night for the umpteenth time an just felt like giving my two cents:

Even though I should have outgrown it as it revolves mainly around characters in their late 20s, it doesn’t feel like that at all. In fact it’s my personal top five favorite movies of all time (as a frame of reference: I was born in the late 60s), and one of a few on my annual watch list -- though yesterday I just found out that it’s best enjoyed in early February!

It’s all about coming home, camaraderie, the coziness of having a place in the world and the discomfort of still looking for it.

The cast is killer, they have an unbeatable chemistry and a very young Natalie Portman is the magic sparkle – she straight outplays all her seniors.

There are quite a few tremendously great monologues that are just as quotable as from any bigger movie. And the songs chosen for the piece hits all the right notes – it actually expanded my music universe quite a bit (unfortunately, the soundtrack album doesn’t contain all the tracks in the movie, but the one that really set the mood for the movie are there).

It’s just a precious little Ted Demme gem that I always pick up at flea markets whenever I see a DVD of it in a forgotten sales bin: Do the same, give it to one of your friends, preferably male (though I can imagine that the movie also works for women ... to a certain degree).… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Embalmer98

Jun 11, 2021

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0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Jed

Mar 20, 2006

This is a good movie about real people. It's not action packed, it's not incredibly insightful... it's a character study of average people who may relate to people you know.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Mike

Oct 18, 2006

Portman, Plimpton and O'Donnell make the film. The only one of Portman's films I've seen that measures up to The Professional.

0 of 0 users found this helpful

Spangle

May 27, 2016

A fantastic look at male insecurity, immaturity, and our inability to commit, Beautiful Girls is a truly sentimental film. A great look at returning home to think things out while being confronted with your past and having to learn how to move on, the film can be a little too obvious andA fantastic look at male insecurity, immaturity, and our inability to commit, Beautiful Girls is a truly sentimental film. A great look at returning home to think things out while being confronted with your past and having to learn how to move on, the film can be a little too obvious and thinks itself more profound than it really is, but that said, it is a really engaging and compelling look at life, love, and finding that "perfect" person for you. An actor's showcase, Beautiful Girls presents fantastic performances from Natalie Portman, Timothy Hutton, Matt Dillon, Noah Emmerich, Michael Rapaport, Rosie O'Donnell, and Uma Thurman. Sweetly written, the sentimental nature of the film hits all the right notes and truly fills you up with nostalgia for the way things used to be and really uses this nostalgia as a good jumping off point to dive into its psychological musings. Overall, Beautiful Girls is a pretty good film overall that really is a pleasure to watch.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

seventhseal

Jan 16, 2015

OK so I cannot issue a full review as I stopped watching at 59 minutes in, had seen enough to realize my life did not need to waste a further 50 minutes watching this dated flick.

Would I recommend, maybe in 1996,..then again most likely not ever.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

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53	#53 Best Movie of 1996
52	#52 Most Discussed Movie of 1996
14	#14 Most Shared Movie of 1996