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Paul Schneider,
Paul Schneider,
Zooey Deschanel,
more...
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David Gordon Green,
David Gordon Green
see all cast/crew...
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: Columbia TriStar
: Drama, Independent, Coming of Age
: 108 min.
: English
: Spanish, French, Portuguese
see additional details...
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David Gordon Green, who in 2000 made a splash on the festival circuit with his independent debut feature, George Washington, directed this drama about two people entering into a mature romantic relationship -- the sort that neither has been accustomed to. Paul (Paul Schneider) is a guy in his mid-'20s who lives in a small Southern town, where he earn a living fixing cars for his uncle. A man with little in the way of ambition, Paul still lives with his mother, Elvira (Patricia Clarkson), and still hangs out with his best friend from high school, rowdy Tip (Shea Whigham), and their buddies Bo (Maurice Compte) and Bust-Ass (Danny McBride). Among his friends, Paul has a reputation as a ladies' man, but he's not at all good with long-term relationships; most of Paul's romances last only a few weeks, and he's slept with nearly every girl in town who's worth having. Deep down inside, Paul senses that he would like to lead a different life, and that feeling becomes all the more clear when he meets Noel (Zooey Deschanel), Tip's teenage sister who has come back home after attending a boarding school. Noel is smarter and deeper than the girls Paul is used to, while Noel is taken with his charm, wit, and down-to-earth nature. Paul and Noel soon fall in love, but for Paul this is a different sort of relationship than he's accustomed to -- Noel is still a virgin, and her contemplative nature gives him a desire to be a better, stronger person. However, Tip doesn't approve of Paul dating his younger sister, which leads to a rift between these longtime friends. All the Real Girls was awarded a Special Jury Prize at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival; Patricia Clarkson's performance was also cited by the jury. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
You might also enjoy:
Tully
A bit less of an ensemble film but equally adept at capturing small town American life
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| feels real...
by marcelmarsyas
August 19, 2005 - 10:10 PM PDT
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3 out of 3 members found this review helpful
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This film displays many of the reasons that I prefer to watch independent film... it feels real and has a great look to it. There is no striving to be slick or overly professional. The attention to visual detail and atmosphere is excellent. The performances are good, especially from the main characters. It takes place in a quiet small town setting and really gets across what that life might be like with true dialogue. Paul Schneider is a little miscast as the loser womanizing jerk, as he seems too much the likable nice guy, but great as the lattter. Zooey Deschanel is nearly perfect and to hear the discussion on casting in the extra, was pretty much a godsend. She adds the attraction that this film needed. She comes across as the definition of real, if a little confused while living in a small town going nowhere. The artifice of this film sometimes sneaks through - but the sensibility is so strong and has such good intention that I was taken with it. It's not an original story, but the feeling of it's presentation was true - and that's something to watch for. |
| odd love story with quirky small town characters.... slow moving.
by nayak
February 8, 2005 - 9:20 PM PST
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2 out of 9 members found this review helpful
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A player from a small blue-collar town falls in love with his best friend's little sister. Both are experiencing a new-kind of relationship, and are dysfunctional in their own ways. It's easy to understand the characters, but not necessarily their love for each other, which seems to be based on both having lots of free time, and no real "interests". The pace was too slow for the first 50 minutes, but picked up after an interesting plot twist.
I had high expectations going into this movie, but give it a 3 / 10. There are many other good movies in this genre that are worth seeing first. |
| auteur theory
by bakedpotato
December 22, 2004 - 6:08 PM PST
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3 out of 8 members found this review helpful
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yay! David Gordon Green isn't a hack!
Do you want to know the best part about watching a movie alone? There is no one there to influence your opinion. Isn't it great to have your own opinion? yes, yes it is. This movie made me cry like a little baby. Would I have been able to have that same kind of emotional connection in a theater with a bunch of people?
Maybe ...
but probably not. This one runs the gamut folks. - 5 Leaves |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 6.82)
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