Circle of Friends

Name: Circle of Friends
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: March 15, 1995
Duration: 103 min
Rating: 70
Cast: Chris O'Donnell, Minnie Driver

1995

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 19 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Ratings

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6.7

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6.7	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 6 Ratings

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Circle Of Friends

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Movie Details & Credits

Savoy Pictures | Release Date: March 15, 1995 | PG-13

Starring: Chris O'Donnell, Minnie Driver

Summary: Set in 1950's Ireland, this romantic coming-of-age story follows three childhood friends from a small town as they head to college in Dublin.

Director: Pat O'Connor

Genre(s): Drama, Romance

Rating: PG-13

Runtime: 103 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Richard Schickel

Their sweet, determined, gently understated struggle for fulfillment in a superstitiously conservative society makes this densely, deftly packed movie a quiet joy to behold. Read full review

Peter Travers

Driver's tough core of honesty and wit is bewitching. So's the movie. Read full review

Bruce Diones

Although there isn't anything startlingly original in this tale of three Catholic girls falling in love in late-fifties Ireland, it gets a sweet telling in Pat O'Connor's pretty film. Read full review

Emanuel Levy

Naturally charming without being beautiful, Driver brings extraordinary intensity and tenderness to a role that easily could have become sappy. Read full review

Owen Gleiberman

As Benny, a small- town Irish teenager in the '50s who goes off to university in Dublin, Minnie Driver has a touchingly awkward prettiness. Her jaw may be as square as a picture frame, but her smile lights her up from within. Read full review

Desson Thomson

As Benny (short for Bernadette), a big-boned, headstrong lass who strains winningly against the restrictions of family, religion and just plain growing up, [Driver's] a comedic breath of fresh air, easily the best thing about the movie. Read full review

Susan Wloszczyna

Circle has a wit and warmth that makes something as glibly contemporary as Reality Bites seem trite and toothless. [15 Mar 1995, Pg.06.D]

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User Reviews

DawdlingPoet

Nov 28, 2021

This is a borderline overly sweet film, in terms of elements of sentimentality and on ocassion an over-use of light cheesy music. The plot is hardly brand new, although I did find it interesting considering its set in the past, in the 1950s -I certainly haven't seen many coming of age typeThis is a borderline overly sweet film, in terms of elements of sentimentality and on ocassion an over-use of light cheesy music. The plot is hardly brand new, although I did find it interesting considering its set in the past, in the 1950s -I certainly haven't seen many coming of age type films set in Ireland that weren't of a modern day setting.

The plot pace is quite slow but its an easy enough watch, if slightly bland. It does feature some sex related scenes, although nothing explicitly graphic is shown, its more implied but some partial nudity is shown and noises heard from a distance on ocassion, which would account for the 15 rating its given in the UK. Its almost got the feel of a slow soap, rather than a drama about it somehow. I liked a number of the characters, although it has to be said that the person who plays the archetypal/stereotyped bad guy role (I'll not name him so as not to spoil the film for others) plays him very well, as when I saw him appear in scenes I felt tempted to shout out 'boo!' as if it were a panto!.

If it were a bit faster paced I'd have enjoyed it more - it was an alright watch, an easy watch but a bit too bland for my personal taste and the cheesy aspect obviously didn't do it any favours either. There are some nice landscape shots of Ireland however - it certainly harks back to a cosier time, or so it'd have you believe.… Expand

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34	#34 Best Movie of 1995
84	#84 Most Shared Movie of 1995