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American Pastoral

R Released Oct 21, 2016 1h 48m Drama TRAILER for List
24% Tomatometer 123 Reviews 31% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Seymour Swede Levov (Ewan McGregor) is a once legendary high school athlete who is now a successful businessman married to Dawn (Jennifer Connelly), a former beauty queen. When his beloved teenage daughter (Dakota Fanning) disappears after being accused of committing a violent act, Swede dedicates himself to finding her and reuniting his family. What he discovers shakes him to the core, forcing him to look beneath the surface and confront the chaos that is shaping the world around him.
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American Pastoral

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Critics Consensus

American Pastoral finds debuting director Ewan McGregor's reach exceeding its grasp with a well-intentioned Philip Roth adaptation that retains the form, but little of the function, of its source material.

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Critics Reviews

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Adam Nayman Cinema Scope The whole production feels verged on the perch of camp. Sep 28, 2017 Full Review Tara Brady Irish Times It's far from perfect, but it's not a bad stab at tricky material. Rated: 3/5 Dec 27, 2016 Full Review Nigel Andrews Financial Times McGregor and Connelly are good as dad and mum, Hannah Nordberg and Dakota Fanning even better as, at different ages, Merry. Rated: 3/5 Dec 27, 2016 Full Review David Walsh World Socialist Web Site American Pastoral is oddly flat and uninvolving for the most part, despite the convulsions it represents. Feb 11, 2021 Full Review Leo Brady AMovieGuy.com There is promise for better outputs by McGregor in the future, with kinder material, but American Pastoral is joyless. Rated: 1.5/4 Feb 3, 2021 Full Review Richard Crouse Richard Crouse What could have been an interesting look at what happens when radicalization comes home is neutered by some swiss cheese storytelling - lots of holes. Rated: 2/5 Feb 3, 2021 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Amy L I thought this was a beautiful movie, exquisitely acted. A wonderful directorial debut. I think it has been unfairly viewed as commentary on modern activism in America when that was never it's intention. It captures the heartache of generational conflict during a period of immense social change, as one generation tears at a society it sees as unjust and archaic, whilst the other tries desperately to hold onto what they know without losing their children. We laud the 60s and 70s for the positive change they brought but rarely examine the pain and heartache that lies behind such sweeping change and upheaval. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/08/24 Full Review Katie Z I think Ewan did a great job as a director and actor Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/09/23 Full Review Audience Member one of the stupidest movie ever. we're they trying to warn us of blm/antifa? they did the exact same thing. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 05/27/22 Full Review Audience Member A few missteps here and there but kept my attention for the most part, was expecting more from the ending. I enjoyed the social issues it explored and think they are just as relevant today as they were in the time the story was set in. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/07/23 Full Review Audience Member Nonostante la trama abbia una base interessante, ogni sviluppo che parte da essa è semplicemente fastidioso. Tutti i personaggi sono mossi da motivazioni inspiegabili e si comportano in maniera stupida e senza senso. Ancor più fastidioso che tutti i personaggi chiamino Ewan McGregor con un soprannome, pure sua moglie; e a proposito del personaggio di Jennifer Connelly, semplicemente esasperante; poche scene totalmente confuse che sommano un personaggio di rara incompiutezza. E anche il racconto in terza parte; non aiuta. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Good movie about the Black Lives Matter. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/16/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Movie Info

Synopsis Seymour Swede Levov (Ewan McGregor) is a once legendary high school athlete who is now a successful businessman married to Dawn (Jennifer Connelly), a former beauty queen. When his beloved teenage daughter (Dakota Fanning) disappears after being accused of committing a violent act, Swede dedicates himself to finding her and reuniting his family. What he discovers shakes him to the core, forcing him to look beneath the surface and confront the chaos that is shaping the world around him.
Director
Ewan McGregor
Producer
Tom Rosenberg, Gary Lucchesi, Andre Lamal
Screenwriter
John Romano
Distributor
Lionsgate Films
Production Co
TIK Films, Lakeshore Entertainment, Lionsgate Films, Sidney Kimmel Entertainment
Rating
R (Language|Brief Violent Images|Some Strong Sexual Material)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Oct 21, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 24, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA)
$541.5K
Runtime
1h 48m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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