69
Metascore
19 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertCircle of Friends is heartwarming and poignant, a love story that glows with intelligence and feeling.
- 88Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversDriver's tough core of honesty and wit is bewitching. So's the movie.
- 80The New York TimesJanet MaslinThe New York TimesJanet MaslinAnother nice thing about Circle of Friends is that it escapes a happily-ever-after scenario to provide more bite and toughness than it first promises.
- 75San Francisco ExaminerBarbara ShulgasserSan Francisco ExaminerBarbara ShulgasserDriver, who is padded but not fat, is an actress with self-possession to spare. Her looks defy conventional rules about modern beauty, but the directness of her gaze and the honesty of her smile make it difficult to look anywhere else when she is on screen.
- 70Washington PostHal HinsonWashington PostHal HinsonIt's not a challenging movie or an original one, but it does have its pleasures -- most notably a radiant, soulful debut performance from Driver, who saves Circle of Friends from being merely an Irish ugly duckling story.
- As Benny, [Driver] nudges the film out of its few valleys of smarm, making Circle of Friends a heartfelt love letter to circles of friends everywhere.
- 60Washington PostDesson ThomsonWashington PostDesson ThomsonAs Benny (short for Bernadette), a big-boned, headstrong lass who strains winningly against the restrictions of family, religion and just plain growing up, [Driver's] a comedic breath of fresh air, easily the best thing about the movie.
- 50ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliFrom that point on, the movie becomes distressingly predictable, with nary a surprise to be found.
- 50San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleSan Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalleYoung Benny has a nice smile, and she and Jack seem like pleasant people, but in the end (and in the beginning and in the middle) it's hard to get worked up about them.
- 50Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittPat O'Connor directed this likable but unmemorable comedy-drama, which creates some vivid moments without quite managing to flesh out its commonplace characters.