Synopsis
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.
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Cast
- Kit HaringtonJohn F. Donovan
- Jacob TremblayRupert Turner
- Natalie PortmanSam Turner
- Ben SchnetzerAdult Rupert Turner
- Thandiwe NewtonAudrey Newhouse
- Susan SarandonGrace Donovan
- Amara KaranMrs. Kureishi
- Chris ZylkaWill Jefford Jr.
- Emily HampshireAmy Bosworth
- Jared KeesoJames Donovan
Recommendations
- 70
Screen Daily
John F. Donovan may revisit a lot of familiar territory for Dolan but on this form it is good to welcome him home. - 42
IndieWire
A shocking misfire that nevertheless demonstrates the sheer confidence in his storytelling that Dolan has cultivated over a decade of movies. It’s the only possible explanation for this baffling ensemble piece, a campy (if at times inspired) burst of melodrama and ludicrous scenarios caving into each other in a spectacular mash of half-baked ideas. - 42
The Playlist
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. - 42
The A.V. Club
In any case, what remains of John F. Donovan is a barely coherent mess, and so eager for your approval that it’s hard to feel anything but sorry for it. - 33
The Film Stage
A baffling exercise in taking real issues and genuine emotional experiences and (seemingly due to some misplaced anxiety) deploying them in service of pure vanity. - 30
The Hollywood Reporter
Dolan has labored hard to yoke together these tricksy, time-jumping, intertwined plots, reportedly editing down a mountain of material over two years. In the process, a whole character played by Jessica Chastain was surgically removed. But however long he tinkered, Dolan has not quite salvaged a story whose default setting seems to be mirthless, ponderous navel-gazing. - 30
Variety
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. - 30
The New York Times
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.
