Synopsis
Working in a Boston homeless shelter, Nick Flynn re-encounters his father, a con man and self-proclaimed poet. Sensing trouble in his own life, Nick wrestles with the notion of reaching out yet again to his dad.
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Cast
- Robert De NiroJonathan Flynn
- Paul DanoNick Flynn
- Julianne MooreJody Flynn
- Olivia ThirlbyDenise
- Eddie RouseCarlos
- Steve CirbusJeff
- Lili TaylorJoy
- Victor RasukGabriel
- Liam BroggyYoung Nick
- Chris ChalkIvan
Recommendations
- 80
The Hollywood Reporter
Robert De Niro and writer-director Paul Weitz find the most congenial material either of them has had in quite some time in Being Flynn. - 80
Variety
The film surrounds its leads with a cast whose faces capture the ragtag dignity Flynn described in his book -- no overacting required, no emotional panhandling allowed. - 75
The A.V. Club
Weitz's sense of play and the Badly Drawn Boy soundtrack each give Being Flynn an enjoyable lightness; meanwhile, the curdled, hidden rage lurking within both Flynns gives it an equally enjoyable edge. - 60
Movieline
There's no doubt that Being Flynn is an attempt at something painful and genuine – the movie itself yearns to make a connection, even if it can't quite locate the most effective channels. - 50
Village Voice
What the actors are unable to get across emotionally (which is a lot - Dano and De Niro, both of them all big actorly tics, often seem like they were filmed in different rooms), Weitz hammers home via near-constant music. - 50
Observer
Too small and dark to appeal to a large audience, it's not a movie to cherish. - 50
Entertainment Weekly
Is it possible for an actor to go through the motions even as he's going over the top? In Being Flynn, Robert De Niro does phoned-in scenery chewing. - 40
Time Out
Sadly, most of the film's dull edges have to do with De Niro, who is clearly in rest-on-his-laurels mode; at his worst, he approaches radioactive, Robin Williams levels of bathos, as when Jonathan - roaring like a bush-league Lear - is banned from the shelter for bad behavior.
