X
- 2019
- R
- Momentum Pictures
- 2 h 3 m
- 2019
- R
- Momentum Pictures
- 2 h 3 m
Summary A decade after the death of an American TV star, a young actor reminisces about the written correspondence he once shared with the former, as well as the impact those letters had on both their lives.
Directed By: Xavier Dolan
Written By: Jacob Tierney, Xavier Dolan
- 2019
- R
- Momentum Pictures
- 2 h 3 m
- 2019
- R
- Momentum Pictures
- 2 h 3 m
The Death and Life of John F. Donovan
28
5.9
Where to Watch
Summary A decade after the death of an American TV star, a young actor reminisces about the written correspondence he once shared with the former, as well as the impact those letters had on both their lives.
Directed By: Xavier Dolan
Written By: Jacob Tierney, Xavier Dolan
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 12 Critic Reviews
28
8% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
33% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
58% Negative
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
Based on 12 Critic Reviews
28
8% Positive
1 Review
1 Review
33% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
58% Negative
7 Reviews
7 Reviews
John F. Donovan may revisit a lot of familiar territory for Dolan but on this form it is good to welcome him home.
Every time Dolan generates a head of steam, he’s betrayed by his script, by the self-conscious formality of the dialogue, or the clunkiness of the structure.
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 User Ratings
5.9
36% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
43% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
21% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
User Score
Mixed or Average
Based on 14 User Ratings
5.9
36% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
43% Mixed
6 Ratings
6 Ratings
21% Negative
3 Ratings
3 Ratings
There are no user reviews yet. Be the first to add a review.
The movie feels disjointed and made up of parts that Dolan couldn’t bring together as it shuffles between three story strands.
Struggling to connect the filaments of past and present, youth and maturity, Dolan seems lost, his signature vivaciousness and sense of fun almost entirely muted. Instead, what lingers is a feeling of being lectured to — which isn’t much fun at all.
What could have been a powerful ode to the impact that movies have in shaping our identities — and by extension, the reason broken people are drawn to the profession, through which they hope to reach others like themselves — becomes an over-the-top celebration of Dolan himself.
The Death & Life of John F. Donovan is rife with melodramatic moments and insufferable characters.
None of it rings remotely true and his insistence on playing out so many scenes at such a high level can make it an excruciating watch.
Production Company
Lyla Films,
Sons of Manual,
Warp Films,
Téléfilm Canada
Release Date Dec 13, 2019
Duration 2 h 3 m
Rating R
Genres
Awards
CinEuphoria Awards
• 2 Wins & 5 Nominations
Toronto International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
Il Festival Nazionale del Doppiaggio Voci nell'Ombra
• 1 Nomination
