Beginners

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Beginners

R

2011

1h 45m

Drama

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

86%

Tomatometer

157 Reviews

77%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

After his mother dies, Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is stunned when his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, comes out of the closet. When Hal passes away a few years later, Oliver grows depressed, struggling with his failing career as an artist while constantly remembering his childhood and time spent with his dad. Oliver's loneliness is eased when he meets actress Anna (Mélanie Laurent), but their relationship is threatened by their mutual fear of commitment.

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Critics Consensus

Wearing its twee heart on its sleeve, Beginners explores the depths of modern, multi-generational romance with wit and depth.

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Deborah Ross

The Spectator

08/31/2018

It's OK, I suppose, and quite sweet. But I couldn't love it for proper, probably because its characters are always more interested in themselves than we are in them, plus it's just too self-consciously tricksy.

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

09/08/2017

A

... at its core, Beginners is about finding happiness, even at the end.

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Amy Taubin

Film Comment Magazine

07/12/2013

Mike Mills treats love and loss with a disarming tenderness and a refusal of sentimentality that make Beginners, his second feature, something of an anomaly among male identity flicks. What a finely wrought, wryly funny, transcendently sad movie this is.

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Kathy Fennessy

Seattle Film Blog

07/31/2024

3/4

I wish [Mike] Mills had dug even deeper. I found Beginners charming, but not as moving as I expected. Still, I would recommend this delicately directed film.

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

03/06/2023

4/4

Mills has delivered a moving film worth celebrating, one whose idiosyncrasies are nothing short of charming, and whose small story is eclipsed by its considerable heart.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

02/15/2023

3.5/4

In any other movie, the key character of Arthur, a soulful Jack Russell terrier, would draw all the attention away from the two-legged protagonists, but the performances by the three leads are so superb that everyone is able to share in the glory.

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Mickey B

@Mickerdoo Jul 7

Obvious that moving in was going to be a hard change from their adventure dating. Liked the cast and interjections the most but didn’t vibe.

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Dima I

@Dima.Issa Dec 7

Full of whimsy, sentiment, charm, and good acting. Feels like watching something truly original - where you feel invited to the party. Purposeful. Without pretense. Will give you great Halloween costume ideas. Watch whenever you need a lighter heart. Great performances all around, especially from the jack russell terrier. Christopher Plummer was extraordinary.

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Stephen C

@bob25009 06/11/2025

Academy Award winner in 2012 for Best Supporting Actor (Christopher Plummer, who lived to be an old man after being given the award). 84th Annual Academy Awards ceremony.

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Faiz D

@RT95588871 08/29/2024

A wonderful, touching and clever indie film.

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dave s

@RT68722908 12/27/2022

With a past shrouded in sorrow, Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is having difficulty finding joy and satisfaction in life. After his mother's death from a terminal illness, his father Hal (Christopher Plummer) decides to pursue his personal happiness by coming out of the closet, only to be diagnosed with terminal cancer shortly afterwards. Oliver finds solace in the arms Anna (Melanie Laurent) and his father's dog Arthur (who steals every scene), but finds that overcoming emotional hurdles is no easy task. As always, director Mike Mills provides the audience with fresh insights into relationships and gives us characters that feel like they should be difficult to relate to, but somehow aren't. It is fresh, original, and no where near as depressing as it all sounds.

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Ęxçëşș M

@ExcessMale 12/01/2022

Writer/Director Mike Mills' family-centric drama carefully treads familiar territory in this stirring multi-generational heart-warmer.

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Mike Mills

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Ewan McGregor

Oliver

Christopher Plummer

Hal

Mélanie Laurent

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Synopsis

After his mother dies, Oliver (Ewan McGregor) is stunned when his father, Hal (Christopher Plummer), recently diagnosed with terminal cancer, comes out of the closet. When Hal passes away a few years later, Oliver grows depressed, struggling with his failing career as an artist while constantly remembering his childhood and time spent with his dad. Oliver's loneliness is eased when he meets actress Anna (Mélanie Laurent), but their relationship is threatened by their mutual fear of commitment.

Director: Mike Mills
Producer: Leslie Urdang, Dean Vanech, Miranda de Pencier, Jay Van Hoy, Lars Knudsen, Mark Levinson
Screenwriter: Mike Mills
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Olympus Pictures, Northwood Productions (II), Parts & Labor
Rating: R (Some Sexual Content|Language)
Genre: Drama, LGBTQ+
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 3, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 12, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $5.8M
Runtime: 1h 45m

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