44
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Philadelphia InquirerCarrie RickeyPhiladelphia InquirerCarrie RickeyThough his film is a tad choppy and a lot chatty, Hindman elicits sympathetic performances from leads who demonstrate a deep understanding of movie physics.
- 63ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliThe Answer Man is a passable way to kill two hours on a lazy summer afternoon, and perhaps an excuse to get out of the heat.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceHindman is a stand-up comedian with many Turgenev-size issues on his mind--inadequate fathers and troubled sons, overprotective mothers, the search for belief--whose weight this slight picture can hardly bear. But the laid-back charm of Daniels and Graham's bumpy courtship gives the movie a much-needed edge of idiosyncrasy.
- 50Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanDaniels plays Arlen with a kind of cuddly crankiness; he makes him a jerk who just needs a hug.
- Conveniently, everyone wears their symptoms on their sleeves, but because the characters are so haphazardly drawn, their pain remains elusive to the end.
- 50USA TodayClaudia PuigUSA TodayClaudia PuigDull, dreary Answer Man raises this question: Why?
- 50The New York TimesA.O. ScottThe New York TimesA.O. ScottNever shows enough passion to be interestingly bad.
- 50Wall Street JournalWall Street JournalIts crackly sarcasm and smart talk turn out to be simply coating for a soft, icky, center.
- 42The A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe A.V. ClubNathan RabinUnoriginality is the greatest and most flagrant of its many sins.
- 25New York PostKyle SmithNew York PostKyle SmithBrutally banal chitchat about life and love ensues.