The Ballad of Jack and Rose

R

Released Mar 25, 2005

1h 51m

Drama

List

47%

Tomatometer

114 Reviews

61%

Audience Score

5,000+ Ratings

Jack Slavin (Daniel Day-Lewis) is an environmentalist with a heart condition who lives with his daughter, Rose (Camilla Belle), on an isolated island. While Jack fights against developers who wish to build in the area, he also craves more contact with other people. When he invites his girlfriend, Kathleen (Catherine Keener), and her sons, Rodney (Ryan McDonald) and Thaddius (Paul Dano), to move in, Rose is upset. The complicated family dynamics makes things difficult for everyone in the house.

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Critics Consensus

Heavy on the symbolism and overly contrived.

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Peter Aspden

Financial Times

So we have the Oscar-winning poet laureate's son wasting his and our time in a flower-power-hangover movie that might have been made 25 years ago, though better, by Hal Ashby.

Rated: 2/5

Oct 7, 2018

Full Review

Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Doesn't succeed in everything it sets out to do, but as a statement about the death rattle of 60s counterculture it's thoughtful and affecting.

Feb 8, 2010

Full Review

David Ansen

Newsweek

Belle uses her blank, doll-like beauty to unnerving effect: she has the vulnerability--and the amorality--of an unbroken colt. Keener, who usually plays brittle, angry urban women, has never been so touching.

Nov 1, 2007

Full Review

Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

A sad tale of isolation and love.

Apr 29, 2009

Full Review

Brandon Fibbs

BrandonFibbs.com

The Ballad of Jack and Rose, like the community it elucidates, is not perfect. Like the people who try so desperately to make the most of the world in which they live, it is full of flaws, inconsistencies, and shortcomings.

Rated: 5/10

Feb 28, 2008

Full Review

Prairie Miller

NY Rock

A disjointed collection of characters whose dysfunctional behavior modes only reinforce the aimlessness of the narrative.

Mar 26, 2007

Full Review

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Amanda L

I watched this movie to see if I’d have any compassion for the father character, to see if the writer, Rebecca Miller, could summon a level of charity in me despite my life-long disdain of adults who fall into objectifying their own children. Well, she did. For all the flaws in production (yes, the soundtrack is intrusive), the actors really did have a deep and ultimately edifying story to work with. Edifying how? I won’t give that away. And, of course, if for no other reason, watch the movie to see Daniel Day-Lewis play a man battling selfishness for the sake of love.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

06/13/24

Full Review

dave j

Written and directed by Rebecca Miller centering on the relationship of Jack (Daniel Day Lewis) and his only daughter, Rose (Camilla Belle) living on a commune located on an island trying to discourage developers since he labels the area to be wet lands. At the same time, viewers also learn Jack has somewhat a medical condition which was why he tried to bring in another love interest into his life living on a rural city, she's played by Catherine Keener and her 2 sons. Spoil We find out later that he has a heart condttion which he never sees a doctor for nor use any kind of medication. Allowing his only daughter Rose to run things until he finally dies of this heart condition. Rose loved her dad so much she initially wanted to die alongside with him . And instead of accepting money for the property since she clearly inherited, she burns up the commune with his dad, and was about to be burned alongside with him, but escapes through a window working on plants for a friend.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Ultimately it doesn't work, but there are a few small parts in here that show some potential of what could've been. Feels really cheap, which doesn't help it at all.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Wow. Just wow. Had no idea DDL was so sexy. And to live there.....to live that life. Wow. Just wow.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/23/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Not at all interesting.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/04/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I wasted my 60 mins watching this movie and felt sorry for Daniel Day-Lewis that he had to play a movie this bad. Oh well, it's his wife's.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

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Rebecca Miller

Director

Daniel Day-Lewis

Jack

Catherine Keener

Kathleen

Camilla Belle

Rose

Beau Bridges

Marty Rance

Jason Lee

Gray

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Synopsis

Jack Slavin (Daniel Day-Lewis) is an environmentalist with a heart condition who lives with his daughter, Rose (Camilla Belle), on an isolated island. While Jack fights against developers who wish to build in the area, he also craves more contact with other people. When he invites his girlfriend, Kathleen (Catherine Keener), and her sons, Rodney (Ryan McDonald) and Thaddius (Paul Dano), to move in, Rose is upset. The complicated family dynamics makes things difficult for everyone in the house.

Director: Rebecca Miller
Producer: Lemore Syvan
Screenwriter: Rebecca Miller
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: IFC Productions
Rating: R (Some Drug Material|Sexual Content|Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 25, 2005, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 27, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $712.3K
Runtime: 1h 51m
Sound Mix: Stereo

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