49
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 90Los Angeles TimesKevin ThomasLos Angeles TimesKevin ThomasA fervent assertion that an individual has the right to pursue his own path lies at the vibrant heart of The Business of Fancydancing.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco ChronicleOffers a quixotic array of characters and flashbacks that tests patience, but once the viewer understand the movie's cadence and rhythm, the story gets better and better until it builds into a crescendo that's emotional, dramatic and -- best of all, perhaps -- fitting.
- 67Seattle Post-IntelligencerSean AxmakerSeattle Post-IntelligencerSean AxmakerThe anger and betrayal hanging in the wake of shattered relationships and conflicted identities leave an admirable untidiness where most films would force resolution. There are no easy answers here, and it's not for lack of questions.
- 63Boston GlobeBoston GlobeShot in digital video, Fancydancing feels a bit like a racy after-school special. Performances are amateurishly uneven.
- 60VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyStalled character development in the second half of the pic reduces the impact of the whole.
- 60The New York TimesA.O. ScottThe New York TimesA.O. ScottAlthough the film is initially clumsy and a little hard to follow, Mr. Alexie takes his time in setting his characters in play, and the visual clunkiness becomes secondary to the eloquent emotional desolation.
- 40TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghAll too often, dramatic confrontations feel like barely dramatized debates.
- 40Village VoiceVillage VoiceSeymour returns to the Spokane Indian Reservation after a 16-year absence for a friend's funeral. The predictable conflicts ensue, often in histrionic dialogue declaimed through clenched teeth.
- 38New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanThe movie eventually chokes on its own pretensions.
- 38New York PostMegan LehmannNew York PostMegan LehmannA well-intentioned, semi-autobiographical pastiche, is trapped in a straitjacket of political correctness, self-conscious acting and spurts of try-hard dialogue that come off as precious.