Production Company(ies)
Romaine Film Corporation,
 
Distributor
Warner Bros., Argentina Video Home
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
State Capitol, Capitol Square – Ninth & Grace Streets, Richmond, Virginia, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for momentary language and a sexual situation
 
Year of Release
1993
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy
 
Keyword(s)
starring Kevin Kline, Sigourney Weaver, Frank Langella, Ben Kingsley, Kevin Dunn, Ving Rhames, directed by Ivan Reitman, written by Gary Ross, political comedy, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Duane Byrge, David Ansen, Richard Schickel, Jeff Shannon, Steven Rea, Jay Boyar, Michael Clark, Joe Leydon, Danielle Solzman, Quentin Curtis, PG-13, White House, president, First Lady, Chief of Staff, Vice President, Secret Service Agent, small business owner, political satire, double for the president, stroke, corruption, comedy-drama, Capitol Hill, Washington D.C., political impersonation, political intrigue, political crisis, political manipulation, political power, political scandal, political corruption, political ethics, political commentary, political message, political system, political thriller, political drama, political satire, political humor, political correctness, political correctness gone mad, political correctness satire, political correctness humor, political correctness comedy, political correctness critique, political correctness debate, political correctness controversy, political correctness politics, political correctness social commentary, political correctness social satire, political correctness social critique, political correctness social debate, political correctness social controversy, political correctness social politics, political correctness social issues, political correctness social justice, political correctness social change, political correctness social commentary, political correctness social satire, political correctness social critique, political correctness social debate, political correctness social controversy, political correctness social politics, political correctness social issues, political correctness social justice, political correctness social change
 

Cast & Crew

Kevin Kline

Sigourney Weaver

Frank Langella

Ben Kingsley

Kevin Dunn

Dave Kovic

President William Harrison ‘Bill’ Mitchell

First Lady Ellen Mitchell

White House Chief of Staff Bob Alexander

Vice President Gary Nance

Kevin Kline – Dave Kovic, President William Harrison ‘Bill’ Mitchell
Sigourney Weaver – First Lady Ellen Mitchell
Frank Langella – White House Chief of Staff Bob Alexander
Ben Kingsley – Vice President Gary Nance
Kevin Dunn – Alan Reed, White House Communications Director
Ving Rhames – Secret Service Agent Duane Stevenson

 

Ivan Reitman

Gary Ross

Ivan Reitman

Lauren Shuler Donner

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Ivan Reitman
 
Writer(s)
Gary Ross
 
Producer(s)
Ivan Reitman, Lauren Shuler Donner

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
Nominated for 1 Oscar
2 wins & 6 nominations total
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Duane Byrge

David Ansen

Richard Schickel

Jeff Shannon

Steven Rea

Hollywood Reporter

Newsweek

TIME Magazine

Seattle Times

Philadelphia Inquirer

DAVE
 All Critics (61) | Top Critics (24) | Fresh (58) | Rotten (3)
 Layering this sweet comedic story with some sharp, editorial barbs, screenwriter Gary Ross has fashioned an engaging, brainy comedy.
 
 May 8, 2018
 
 Duane Byrge
 Hollywood Reporter
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s the spritely comic timing of the fine Hollywood ensemble that keeps Dave percolating. This affable, well-built comedy is Reitman’s best since Ghostbusters.
 
 February 19, 2018
 
 David Ansen
 Newsweek
 TOP CRITIC
 A genial, expertly played political comedy proves that the spirit of Mr. Smith still lives.
 
 August 2, 2013
 
 Richard Schickel
 TIME Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s impossible to say whether Dave will play as wonderfully over the decades as it does right now, but this smooth-as-silk comedy could not be more timely, or connect more hopefully with our current national consciousness.
 
 August 2, 2013 | Rating: 4/4
 
 Jeff Shannon
 Seattle Times
 TOP CRITIC
 While it’s sloppy and draggy in parts, Kevin Kline, in the title role, delivers an ingratiating comedic performance.
 
 August 2, 2013 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Steven Rea
 Philadelphia Inquirer
 TOP CRITIC
 Kline is so polished and resourceful that he can glide his way through even the creakiest bits and make them seem fresh.
 
 August 2, 2013 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 Pulls off the rare feat of being rooted in politics without displaying any partisanship. Sophisticated but relatable and smart, it is a comedy with endless charm and an ability to impart a common sense message without standing on a soap box doing so.
 
 March 6, 2022 | Rating: 4.5/5
 
 Michael Clark
 Epoch Times
 “Dave” is the very model of a modern Capraesque comedy, being the story of a little guy who triumphs, through pluck and luck, over a corrupt system.
 
 October 26, 2020
 
 Joe Leydon
 The Moving Picture Show
 It’s a high-concept premise that’s employed to watchable yet erratic effect by Ivan Reitman…
 
 January 16, 2019 | Rating: 3/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 Paying an homage to the prior work of the great Frank Capra, Dave offers a fresh contemporary take on a classic trope.
 
 February 19, 2018
 
 Danielle Solzman
 Solzy at the Movies
 It’s opportunistic, superficial, and great fun.
 
 December 7, 2017
 
 Quentin Curtis
 Independent on Sunday
 [A] delightful, gentle satire on the Washington political scene.
 
 August 2, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
 
 John Ferguson
 Radio Times…

 

Plot
Bill Mitchell is the philandering and distant President of the United States. Dave Kovic is a sweet-natured and caring Temp Agency operator, who by a staggering coincidence looks exactly like the President. As such, when Mitchell wants to escape an official luncheon, the Secret Service hires Dave to stand in for him. Unfortunately, Mitchell suffers a severe stroke whilst having sex with one of his aides, and Dave finds himself stuck in the role indefinitely. The corrupt and manipulative Chief of Staff, Bob Alexander, plans to use Dave to elevate himself to the White House – but unfortunately, he doesn’t count on Dave enjoying himself in office, using his luck to make the country a better place, and falling in love with the beautiful First Lady…
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Kevin Kline delivers an “ingratiating comedic performance” in Dave, according to critic Steven Rea.
 

 
Ivan-Reitman.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Mosfilm Vtoroe Tvorcheskoe Obedinenie
 
Distributor
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Distributing Corp., United International Pictures
 
Release Type

 
Filming Location(s)
301 N Cedar Street, Spokane, Washington, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for theme, a scene of mild sensuality and one use of harsh language
 
Year of Release
1993
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Romance
 
Keyword(s)
starring Johnny Depp, Mary Stuart Masterson, Aidan Quinn, Julianne Moore, Oliver Platt, CCH Pounder, directed by Jeremiah S Chechik, written by Barry Berman, Lesley McNeil, produced by Susan Arnold, Donna Arkoff Roth, Comedy, Romance, PG, box office gross $23.1M, budget unknown, reviewed by Peter Rainer, Matt Mueller, Owen Gleiberman, Patricia Bibby, David Ansen, Emanuel Levy, Richard Propes, Roger Hurlburt, Brian D Johnson, People Staff, Kristy Strouse, starring Johnny Depp as Sam, Mary Stuart Masterson as Juniper “Joon” Pearl, Aidan Quinn as Benjamin “Benny” Pearl, Julianne Moore as Ruthie, Oliver Platt as Eric, CCH Pounder as Dr Garvey, mentally disturbed sister, eccentric Sam, job at the video store, relationship, altercation, brother and sister, romantic fable, mentally ill, mental illness, quirky, charming, cheesy, compelling, unpredictable quirks, sharp chemistry, talent, wow-factor, forgettable, slow, forced, unsubtle, development, sequences, transitions, storytelling, effort, smoothness, quirkiness, charisma, straightman, subtle, concerning, mystery, dimension, impressive, unpredictable, enjoyable, consistently, wowing, impressive, fellow leads, sharp, chemistry, talent, unpredictable quirks, consistently enjoyable, charmer
 

Cast & Crew

Johnny Depp

Mary Stuart Masterson

Aidan Quinn

Julianne Moore

Oliver Platt

Sam

Juniper “Joon” Pearl

Benjamin “Benny” Pearl

Ruthie

Eric

Johnny Depp – Sam
Mary Stuart Masterson – Juniper “Joon” Pearl
Aidan Quinn – Benjamin “Benny” Pearl
Julianne Moore – Ruthie
Oliver Platt – Eric
CCH Pounder – Dr. Garvey

 

Jeremiah S. Chechik

Barry Berman

Susan Arnold

Donna Arkoff Roth

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Jeremiah S. Chechik
 
Writer(s)
Barry Berman, Lesley McNeil
 
Producer(s)
Susan Arnold, Donna Arkoff Roth

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
4 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Peter Rainer

Matt Mueller

Owen Gleiberman

Patricia Bibby

David Ansen

Los Angeles Times

Empire Magazine

Entertainment Weekly

Associated Press

Newsweek

BENNY & JOON
 All Critics (41) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (31) | Rotten (10)
 This sentimental stew is not without its flavors, and the cast tries hard to be winsome and adorably distraught.
 
 June 17, 2020
 
 Peter Rainer
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 This is a wisp of a movie, to be sure, but underneath all the absurd comic fringes and the much-abused crazies-are-really-sane theme beats the heart of a genuinely poetic love story.
 
 June 17, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Matt Mueller
 Empire Magazine
 TOP CRITIC
 Inconsequential as it is, Benny & Joon is that rare thing, a crazy-versus-sane movie that likes one kind as much as the other.
 
 January 29, 2019 | Rating: B
 
 Owen Gleiberman
 Entertainment Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 There’s something vaguely unsettling about ”Benny & Joon,” a film that’s billed innocuously as a ”charming, offbeat comedy” that actually is about a woman suffering from mental illness.
 
 June 12, 2018
 
 Patricia Bibby
 Associated Press
 TOP CRITIC
 This fierce, smart jape gets you shaking with laughter, then leaves you simply shaking.
 
 June 6, 2018
 
 David Ansen
 Newsweek
 TOP CRITIC
 As the outsider who courts the mentally ill Mary Stuart Masterson, Johnny Depp renders a startling performance that elevates the romantic fable way above its writing and directing shortcomings; look for the young Julianne Moore in a small part.
 
 April 8, 2006 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Emanuel Levy
 Variety
 TOP CRITIC
 The film is blessed with a wonderful use of color and cinematography, stellar costume design and simple, but effective, set design.
 
 September 2, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0
 
 Richard Propes
 TheIndependentCritic.com
 Benny & Joon is a curious movie that should not work but somehow does.
 
 June 17, 2020
 
 Roger Hurlburt
 South Florida Sun-Sentinel
 It is a funny, innocuous fable, a Sweet ‘N Low romantic comedy that seems a little facile at first, but has irresistible charm.
 
 June 17, 2020
 
 Brian D. Johnson
 Maclean’s Magazine
 This film about love among the mentally ill is… as artificially sweet as a mouthful of saccharin. Still, it is irresistibly appealing in an old-fashioned, fantasy romance way.
 
 June 17, 2020
 
 People Staff
 People Magazine
 If you’re searching for something a little unconventional, Benny and Joon is sure to be a joy.
 
 June 9, 2020
 
 Kristy Strouse
 In Their Own League
 For all of its color and characters and fine details, Benny & Joon adds up to less than the sum of its parts.
 
 June 6, 2018
 
 Malcolm Johnson
 Hartford Courant…

 

Plot
In Spokane, Washington, Juniper Pearl – Joon to those that know her – is an artist. She is also a mentally challenged young woman who requires around the clock care, as she could cause harm to herself or others. Her brother Benny Pearl, who owns and operates a garage and who is her only living relative since their parents died twelve years ago in a car accident, has made the decision that she would live at home with him, in the process sacrificing being able to have a personal life of his own. He has hired full-time housekeepers to provide that care when he isn’t around. However, he has exhausted the list of housekeepers, who keep quitting because Joon is too much to handle. As such, Benny makes the decision that perhaps it would be best for all concerned if Joon were to live in a group home, something he is hesitating telling her for fear of her reaction. Into their lives comes Sam, the eccentric cousin of Benny’s friend Mike, who they obtained from Mike in a losing hand of poker. Among his eccentricities, Sam has a penchant for bursting into Buster Keatonesque physical comedy routines. As Sam ultimately makes a connection with both Benny and Joon, he becomes a complicating factor in their lives as Benny evaluates Sam’s fitness to handle both the good and bad of Joon.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Johnny Depp’s performance as the eccentric Sam is a standout in this quirky romantic comedy.
 

 
Jeremiah-S.-Chechik.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Perfect Day Films,
 
Distributor
Universal Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Bronson Caves, Bronson Canyon, Griffith Park – 4730 Crystal Springs Drive, Los Angeles, California, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for violence and horror
 
Year of Release
1993
 

 
Genre(s)
Fantasy/Adventure
 
Keyword(s)
starring Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Marcus Gilbert, Ian Abercrombie, Richard Grove, Michael Earl Reid, directed by Sam Raimi, written by Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, Fantasy, Adventure, Horror, Comedy, R rating, box office gross $10.5M, produced by Rob Tapert, reviewed by Owen Gleiberman, Nick Schager, Jonathan Rosenbaum, James Berardinelli, Marc Savlov, Roger Ebert, Maddy Myers, Mike Massie, David Nusair, Matt Brunson, Austin Trunick, starring Bruce Campbell as Ash, Evil Dead franchise, Necronomicon, medieval times, army of the dead, book of evil, Dolby A, Dolby SR, Surround, Dolby Stereo, Universal Pictures, Flat (1.85:1) aspect ratio, Evil Dead trilogy, an American Werewolf in London, The Fly, They Live, The Thing, Ray Harryhausen, Clash of the Titans, Sinbad, Gulliver’s Travels
 

Cast & Crew

Bruce Campbell

Embeth Davidtz

Marcus Gilbert

Ian Abercrombie

Richard Grove

Ash

Sheila

Arthur

Wiseman Joe

Duke Henry

Bruce Campbell – Ash
Embeth Davidtz – Sheila
Marcus Gilbert – Arthur
Ian Abercrombie – Wiseman Joe
Richard Grove – Duke Henry
Michael Earl Reid – Gold Tooth

 

Sam Raimi

Sam Raimi

Rob Tapert

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Sam Raimi
 
Writer(s)
Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi
 
Producer(s)
Rob Tapert

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
12 wins & 7 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Owen Gleiberman

Nick Schager

Jonathan Rosenbaum

James Berardinelli

Marc Savlov

Entertainment Weekly

Lessons of Darkness

Chicago Reader

ReelViews

Austin Chronicle

ARMY OF DARKNESS
 All Critics (49) | Top Critics (8) | Fresh (36) | Rotten (13)
 September 7, 2011 | Rating: C+
 
 Owen Gleiberman
 Entertainment Weekly
 TOP CRITIC
 Army of Darkness’ story is so perfunctory and lame that there’s nothing to tether its bits and pieces of loopy madness.
 
 January 20, 2011 | Rating: C+
 
 Nick Schager
 Lessons of Darkness
 TOP CRITIC
 This is old-fashioned fun until the climactic battle, which almost comes across like routine bone piling after all the flights of fancy.
 
 May 29, 2009
 
 Jonathan Rosenbaum
 Chicago Reader
 TOP CRITIC
 January 1, 2000 | Rating: 3/4
 
 James Berardinelli
 ReelViews
 TOP CRITIC
 January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2/5
 
 Marc Savlov
 Austin Chronicle
 TOP CRITIC
 The movie isn’t as funny or entertaining as Evil Dead II, however, maybe because the comic approach seems recycled.
 
 January 1, 2000 | Rating: 2/4
 
 Roger Ebert
 Chicago Sun-Times
 TOP CRITIC
 The movie’s insistence on pushing horror to the side in favor of sheer goofiness was a risk, though, and perhaps that’s why Army of Darkness is more of a cult classic.
 
 October 22, 2021
 
 Maddy Myers
 Polygon
 Hilarious and unexpectedly adventurous, this horror/comedy is like Indiana Jones meets Sinbad in the three worlds of Gulliver.
 
 September 9, 2020 | Rating: 8/10
 
 Mike Massie
 Gone With The Twins
 The climactic battle between the living and the dead that closes the picture is well done yet disappointingly lacking in thrills…
 
 August 11, 2016 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 Only a primitive screwhead would find zero entertainment value in the third Evil Dead movie.
 
 November 4, 2015 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Matt Brunson
 Creative Loafing
 More than anything, Army of Darkness is a tribute to the Ray Harryhausen adventure epics (Clash of the Titans, Sinbad, and the like) that Sam Raimi grew up loving.
 
 November 4, 2015 | Rating: 9/10
 
 Austin Trunick
 Under the Radar
 Sam Raimi’s Army of Darkness delivers a great conclusion to what is one of the most unique trilogies in cinema history, providing a ton of laughs and plenty of exciting action in the process.
 
 October 26, 2015 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Jeff Beck
 The Blu Spot…

 

Plot
Ash is transported with his car to 1,300 A.D., where he is captured by Lord Arthur and turned slave with Duke Henry the Red and a couple of his men. When Ash is thrown into a pit, he defeats two monsters and wins respect of Arthur’s army and vassals. The Wiseman points Ash as The Chosen One that will retrieve the Necronomicon but Ash is only interested in returning home. When he learns that the only way to return to his time is using the Necronomicon, Ash decides to travel to the unholy land of the Deadites. The Wiseman advises that he must say the words “Klaatu Barada Nikto” to safely get the evil book. However, Ash forgets the last word and an army of the dead resurrects to attack Arthur fortress and recover the Necronomicon. The battle between the living and the dead is about to start and the support of Henry the Red is the only way to help Ash and Arthur to defeat the army of darkness.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
There is no goofy or funny comment about the film Army of Darkness on Fresh Kernels.
 

 
Sam-Raimi.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros.,
 
Distributor
Columbia Pictures
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
Ciudad Acuña, Coahuíla, Mexico
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong violence
 
Year of Release
1993
 

 
Genre(s)
Action
 
Keyword(s)
starring Carlos Gallardo, Consuelo Gómez, Reinol Martinez, Peter Marquardt, Ramiro Gómez, Jesús López, directed by Robert Rodriguez, written by Robert Rodriguez, action, R rating, Columbia Pictures, $1.6M box office, reviewed by Harper Barnes, Jay Carr, Alexander Walker, Sheila Johnston, Geoff Brown, Cynthia Rose, Philip French, Robbie Roberts, Steve Persall, John Scalzi, Noel Taylor, Stephen Hunter, El Mariachi, guitar player, hit men, mob warfare, mistaken identity, Mexican town, stylized violence, Spanish language, Carlos Gallardo and Robert Rodriguez producers, flat aspect ratio, Dolby sound mix, low budget, filmmaking primer, creative exuberance, Robert Rodriguez debut, action flick, Desperado, Once Upon a Time in Mexico, Mariachi music, drug war, outlaw, innocent, shoestring budget, subpar effects, original, engaging, surprising, entertaining
 

Cast & Crew

Carlos Gallardo

Consuelo Gómez

Reinol Martinez

Peter Marquardt

Ramiro Gómez

El Mariachi

Domino

Azul

Mauricio (Moco)

Cantinero

Carlos Gallardo – El Mariachi
Consuelo Gómez – Domino
Reinol Martinez – Azul
Peter Marquardt – Mauricio (Moco)
Ramiro Gómez – Cantinero
Jesús López – Viejo Clerk

 

Robert Rodriguez

Robert Rodriguez

Carlos Gallardo

Robert Rodriguez

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Robert Rodriguez
 
Writer(s)
Robert Rodriguez
 
Producer(s)
Carlos Gallardo, Robert Rodriguez

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
7 wins & 4 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Harper Barnes

Jay Carr

Alexander Walker

Sheila Johnston

Geoff Brown

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Boston Globe

London Evening Standard

Independent (UK)

Times (UK)

EL MARIACHI
 All Critics (74) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (67) | Rotten (7)
 El Mariachi makes the bloated movies of Steven Seagal and other American martial arts stars look as lazy and cluttered as the tag-team match at a tanktown wrestling arena. This movie means business.
 
 September 9, 2021
 
 Harper Barnes
 St. Louis Post-Dispatch
 TOP CRITIC
 Although crude, it deftly balances kinetic action sequences with hip awareness, only occasionally succumbing to moves that seem self-conscious or affected.
 
 September 9, 2021
 
 Jay Carr
 Boston Globe
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s great to find this green shoot of talent in the present Hollywood desert.
 
 September 9, 2021
 
 Alexander Walker
 London Evening Standard
 TOP CRITIC
 It’s a straight-arrow genre piece; a comic paella Western set in Mexico and shot in Spanish. But the film is a little triumph. What distinguishes it is the execution.
 
 September 9, 2021
 
 Sheila Johnston
 Independent (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Rodriguez’s first feature has qualities no money can ever provide, like youthful imagination, puckish black humour and a powerful sense of narrative.
 
 September 9, 2021
 
 Geoff Brown
 Times (UK)
 TOP CRITIC
 Despite its superficial sense of low-budget genre-as-usual, this project offer something truly new for American film.
 
 September 8, 2021
 
 Cynthia Rose
 Sight & Sound
 TOP CRITIC
 The best movie in the section… [A] vigorous action movie.
 
 September 9, 2021
 
 Philip French
 Observer (UK)
 El Mariachi is a filmmaking primer. The building blocks of moviemaking are on display from the outset… Watching is a technical reward and a promise of good things to come.
 
 September 9, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Robbie Roberts
 News & Observer (Raleigh, NC)
 A flawed revelation of a talented new filmmaker. Let’s pray that he doesn’t get corrupted by that big-money deal with Columbia.
 
 September 8, 2021 | Rating: B
 
 Steve Persall
 Tampa Bay Times
 For something that was intended as an exercise of straight-to-video, crank-it-out movie-making, “El Mariachi” is a surprisingly strong piece of work.
 
 September 8, 2021 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 John Scalzi
 Fresno Bee
 Creative exuberance is its own reward and El Mariachi is strikingly original even with its constant reminders of Sam Peckinpah and Sergio Leone.
 
 September 8, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Noel Taylor
 Ottawa Citizen
 Rodriguez has drop-dead natural talent.
 
 September 8, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Stephen Hunter
 Baltimore Sun…

 

Plot
El Mariachi just wants to play his guitar and carry on the family tradition. Unfortunately, the town he tries to find work in has another visitor…a killer who carries his guns in a guitar case. The drug lord and his henchmen mistake El Mariachi for the killer, Azul, and chase him around town trying to kill him and get his guitar case.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t say anything goofy or funny about El Mariachi, but it does mention that the film was made on a shoestring budget.
 

 
Robert-Rodriguez.jpg

 
Production Company(ies)
Paramount Pictures, Penthouse Video Long Road Productions,
 
Distributor
Warner Bros.
 
Release Type
Theatrical
 
Filming Location(s)
1820 E. Thomas St, Seattle, Washington, USA
 
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for language, sex related dialogue and scenes of sensuality
 
Year of Release
1992
 

 
Genre(s)
Comedy/Romance
 
Keyword(s)
starring Bridget Fonda, Matt Dillon, Campbell Scott, Kyra Sedgwick, Sheila Kelley, Jim True-Frost, directed by Cameron Crowe, written by Cameron Crowe, comedy, romance, PG-13, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Noel Murray, John Hartl, Terrence Rafferty, Peter Rainer, Dave Kehr, Jay Boyar, David Nusair, Malcolm Johnson, Renee Schonfeld, Stephen Hunter, Alan Jones, Bill von Maurer, produced by Richard Hashimoto, Cameron Crowe, Warner Bros., Seattle, grunge music, relationships, apartment building, waitress, aspiring architect, bad boy musician, emotionally fragile environmentalist, nice guy, traffic patterns, Paul Westerberg music track, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains, Tim Burton cameo, soundtrack
 

Cast & Crew

Bridget Fonda

Matt Dillon

Campbell Scott

Kyra Sedgwick

Sheila Kelley

Janet Livermore

Cliff Poncier (Citizen Dick vocalist)

Steve Dunne

Linda Powell

Debbie Hunt

Bridget Fonda – Janet Livermore
Matt Dillon – Cliff Poncier (Citizen Dick vocalist)
Campbell Scott – Steve Dunne
Kyra Sedgwick – Linda Powell
Sheila Kelley – Debbie Hunt
Jim True-Frost – David Bailey

 

Cameron Crowe

Cameron Crowe

Richard Hashimoto

Cameron Crowe

Director

Writer

Producer

Producer

Producer

Director(s)
Cameron Crowe
 
Writer(s)
Cameron Crowe
 
Producer(s)
Richard Hashimoto, Cameron Crowe

 

Film Festivals

 
Awards & Nominations
1 win & 3 nominations
 
Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Noel Murray

John Hartl

Terrence Rafferty

Peter Rainer

Dave Kehr

The Dissolve

Seattle Times

New Yorker

Los Angeles Times

Chicago Tribune

SINGLES
 All Critics (52) | Top Critics (19) | Fresh (41) | Rotten (11)
 It’s like a catalog of everything Crowe had to offer back in the early 1990s, from detailed evocations of place and time to the characters’ pronouncements about popular culture.
 
 April 6, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/5
 
 Noel Murray
 The Dissolve
 TOP CRITIC
 This is one happy-ending romance that doesn’t feel forced. You can’t help getting into the spirit of it.
 
 May 19, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4
 
 John Hartl
 Seattle Times
 TOP CRITIC
 This is romantic comedy of the wispiest kind, but the picture is generous, graceful, and consistently funny.
 
 May 19, 2014
 
 Terrence Rafferty
 New Yorker
 TOP CRITIC
 There’s a genial untidiness about Singles, but it’s unified by Crowe’s affection for his characters, and by the terrific Paul Westerberg music track, which plays like a pulse-beat to these people’s lives.
 
 May 19, 2014
 
 Peter Rainer
 Los Angeles Times
 TOP CRITIC
 There is something new here, and very fresh.
 
 May 19, 2014 | Rating: 3/4
 
 Dave Kehr
 Chicago Tribune
 TOP CRITIC
 Crowe doesn’t add much to the general discussion, but he’s assembled an attractive cast and seems to have a genuine affection for the young people on the screen.
 
 May 19, 2014 | Rating: 3/5
 
 Jay Boyar
 Orlando Sentinel
 TOP CRITIC
 …a reasonably memorable romcom…
 
 October 17, 2021 | Rating: 3/4
 
 David Nusair
 Reel Film Reviews
 For all of the director-writer’s hipness, there isn’t much life in Singles, a wearying if occasionally witty look at life after college in the troubling years of twentysomething.
 
 May 29, 2018
 
 Malcolm Johnson
 Hartford Courant
 Classic ’90s romcom with great soundtrack; sex, cursing.
 
 August 30, 2017 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Renee Schonfeld
 Common Sense Media
 Infernally precious.
 
 May 19, 2014 | Rating: 2.5/4
 
 Stephen Hunter
 Baltimore Sun
 Crowe’s greatest strength is the way he focuses on those smaller moments in life that are rarely reflected in movies.
 
 May 19, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
 
 Alan Jones
 Radio Times
 No matter your age, you will warm to the young men and women in Singles who are striving to find their balance in the pleasant ambiance of Seattle.
 
 May 19, 2014
 
 Bill von Maurer
 South Florida Sun-Sentinel…

 

Plot
Romantic comedy about six of Seattle’s young people, most of whom live in the same apartment building and whose lives revolve around the city’s ever-expanding music scene. The inter-related stories about each character’s progress through the singles scene are intriguing and often very funny, and the soundtrack is a grunge fanatic’s dream, with the likes of Soundgarden, Pearl Jam and Mudhoney.
 
Trivia

 
Goofs / Tidbits
The film features a young Matt Dillon and Bridget Fonda in their prime.
 

 
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