A Slipping-Down Life

Play trailer

A Slipping-Down Life

R

Released Jan 22, 1999

1h 51m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

27%

Tomatometer

63 Reviews

44%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

"Drumstrings" Casey (Guy Pearce) is an aspiring rock musician, though he hasn't had much success so far. Evie Decker (Lili Taylor) is likewise searching for direction and meaning. She works at an amusement park by day and at night bides her time alongside her troubled father. Between the two, Evie might be the more emotionally disturbed, as evidenced by how obsessed she becomes with Casey -- going so far as to carve his name across her forehead. They get married, but can their love last?

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

Lili Talyor is the best thing in this uninvolving and unconvincing drama.

Read Critics Reviews

Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Has a lot going for it, but not nearly all it should have.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 12, 2004

Full Review

Tom Long

Detroit News

It's interesting, not fascinating, intriguing, not electrifying. But for those in the mood for an offbeat pleasure, A Slipping Down Life may well satisfy.

Rated: B

Jun 4, 2004

Full Review

Terry Lawson

Detroit Free Press

Never cuts much deeper than its subject.

Rated: 2/4

Jun 4, 2004

Full Review

Cole Smithey

ColeSmithey.com

Crap.

Rated: 0/5

Jun 30, 2008

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The two stars were not right for the parts.

Rated: C

May 21, 2005

Full Review

Walter Chaw

Film Freak Central

If not entirely successful, at least ambitious and, for a long while, even brave.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 14, 2005

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Member

Godawful. If you're going to make a movie about disturbed people, how about making them - or at least the story - interesting??

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

never gains momentum,just fair,nothing stands out.not worth recommending to anyone.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

What at first seems like observed, exaggerated truth soon reveals itself as a series of writerly conceits being followed doggedly to some logical conclusion.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

Full Review

Audience Member

(***): [img]http://images.rottentomatoes.com/images/user/icons/icon14.gif[/img] Lili Taylor and Guy Pearce are great here. An interesting movie.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The leads are attractive but the film goes nowhere.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I chose this movie because I love Lili Taylor and I liked Guy Pearce in Memento. It is definitely a 90s movie, and as such is probably a little less interesting today than it was in 1999. I liked it because the main character (Taylor) is honest, forthright, and true to her values and decisions (however odd they may be.) In a society of grungy followers, Evie needs only her own approval to feel whole with herself and right with her decisions.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Toni Kalem

Director

Lili Taylor

Evie Decker

Guy Pearce

Drumstrings Casey

John Hawkes

David Elliot

Sara Rue

Violet

Irma P. Hall

Clotelia

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

A Slipping-Down Life: Official Clip - You Can Hop Right Out of Here

1:33

A Slipping-Down Life: Official Clip - Family Dinner

3:17

A Slipping-Down Life: Official Clip - He's Dying

2:19

A Slipping-Down Life: Official Clip - Evie Don't Go

3:04

A Slipping-Down Life: Official Clip - I Don't Have That Big a Forehead

3:30

A Slipping-Down Life: Official Clip - You Know It's Backwards

2:37

A Slipping-Down Life: Official Clip - Your Face Is So Soft

2:16

A Slipping-Down Life: Official Clip - To the Chapel

1:58

A Slipping-Down Life: Official Clip - Just Stood Up and Did It

2:59

A Slipping-Down Life: Official Clip - I Want to Answer Him

2:01

View more videos

Next Stop Wonderland

73%

74%

Next Stop Wonderland

Watchlist

Limbo

72%

70%

Limbo

Watchlist

No Looking Back

36%

64%

No Looking Back

Watchlist

The Minus Man

58%

45%

The Minus Man

Watchlist

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Synopsis

"Drumstrings" Casey (Guy Pearce) is an aspiring rock musician, though he hasn't had much success so far. Evie Decker (Lili Taylor) is likewise searching for direction and meaning. She works at an amusement park by day and at night bides her time alongside her troubled father. Between the two, Evie might be the more emotionally disturbed, as evidenced by how obsessed she becomes with Casey -- going so far as to carve his name across her forehead. They get married, but can their love last?

Director: Toni Kalem
Producer: Richard Raddon
Screenwriter: Toni Kalem, Anne Tyler
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: DVC Entertainment
Rating: R (Language|Sexual References)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 22, 1999, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 16, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $95.4K
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Surround

Most Popular at Home Now