The Greatest

R

Released Apr 2, 2010

1 hr. 40 min.

Drama

List

55%

58 Reviews

Tomatometer

53%

5,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Three months after Allen and Grace's son dies, Rose shows up on their doorstep pregnant with his child. At first her arrival stirs up their emotions and threatens to tear the family further apart, but as time passes, she may just be the very thing that brings them back together.

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Critics Consensus

It's burdened by a predictable, overly melodramatic story, but The Greatest benefits from strong performances by its talented cast.

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Audience Member

Not the most original story but so well executed and each performance was a gem. Wonderful to see Brosnan in a role that gave him some range. He was excellent. Mulligan had that special shine she always showed us in those years. Such a fine actress and Sarandon was perfect. I especially enjoyed the actor who played the younger brother. He kept it real, though the subplot with the girl he met in the group was a little weak. If I could guess at the moment they met how that would end....it just seemed an unnecessary complication. Overall loved this film and will probably watch it again in a few years.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Michelle S

The premise was interesting, but the execution of it was daunting. The mother could undoubtedly be upset about the events of her son passing in a freak car accident, but to wholeheartedly take it out on the pregnant girl is weird to me. The other son's drug use wasn't fully explained (at least I don't remember them explaining it) and I'm guessing the father had an affair at some point. Yes, there were a messy and dysfunctional family, and dealing with their grief that placed burdens on this young pregnant girl with her own issues. That just doesn't seem realistic to me.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/27/20

Full Review

Ken R

Good performances, photography and music score, almost save this interesting subject from its badly developed script and poorish direction (Shana Feste). Two young students do two foolish things on the first day they meet. (1) Have fist time intercourse (unprotected) without knowing anything about each other! and (2) Park in the middle of the highway to talk! Resulting in life-altering consequences. The movie suffers from too many loose ends and unlikely situations to neatly tie-up its associated stories - as well as so-called ‘trendy', foul-mouthed Hollywood dialogue. The stars do the best they can to breathe life into material offering some interesting but not always convincing relationships - with certain situations leaving more questions than answers. A difficult subject such as this needed a more mature writer and director. Viewers who look at movies in ‘high emotion' mode may not notice the flaws. Others might be disappointed.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

09/18/19

Full Review

Audience Member

Pierce Brosnan is a gem here, but the entire film is too predictable.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Koskettava tarina ja hyvät näyttelijät. <3 (Suom. The Greatest - Suurimmat tunteet)

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

Full Review

joão p

The Greatest is good romance mixed with a fine moments of drama and good performances. (3/5)

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Shana Feste

Director

Pierce Brosnan

Allen Brewer

Susan Sarandon

Grace Brewer

Carey Mulligan

Rose

Johnny Simmons

Ryan

Aaron Taylor-Johnson

Bennett

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J. R. Jones

Chicago Reader

The real surprise is Brosnan's silent, agonized performance; his post-007 career has been one long campaign to prove he's got the goods.

Jan 3, 2011

Full Review

Peter Rainer

Christian Science Monitor

Overwrought in all the wrong ways, The Greatest doesn't do its normally excellent cast any favors.

Rated: C-

Apr 16, 2010

Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan

Washington Post

A meditation on loss by a writer-director whose honesty, sensitivity and intelligence more than mitigate the film's histrionic qualities.

Rated: 2.5/4

Apr 16, 2010

Full Review

Marya E. Gates

Cool People Have Feelings, Too. (Substack)

Those who are not fans of melodrama may not enjoy the film’s various tugs at the heartstrings, but the cast really sold it to me.

Feb 13, 2024

Full Review

Lisa Rosman

IFC.com

[A] paint-by-numbers first feature.

Jul 18, 2017

Full Review

Alison Gang

San Diego Union-Tribune

Although Feste delivers a well-acted, competently directed film with The Greatest, it ultimately lacks the originality that could lift it out of the fog.

Rated: 2/4

Aug 11, 2010

Full Review

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Synopsis

Three months after Allen and Grace's son dies, Rose shows up on their doorstep pregnant with his child. At first her arrival stirs up their emotions and threatens to tear the family further apart, but as time passes, she may just be the very thing that brings them back together.

Director: Shana Feste
Executive Producer: Pierce Brosnan, Anthony Callie, Doug Dey, Ron Hartenbaum
Screenwriter: Shana Feste
Distributor: Paladin
Production Co: Irish DreamTime, Barbarian Films, Silverwood Films, Oceana Media Finance
Rating: R (Some Sexual Content|Language|Drug Use)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 2, 2010, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 8, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $115.9K

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