Rotten Tomatoes

Movies / TV

    Celebrity

      No Results Found

       View All       Movies Tv shows Shop News Showtimes

      Drunkboat

      2010 1 hr. 38 min. Drama List
      23% 13 Reviews Tomatometer 22% 50+ Ratings Audience Score A teenager (Jacob Zachar) manipulates his troubled, boozy uncle (John Malkovich) into helping him acquire a beaten-up wooden sailboat. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Aug 16 Buy Now

      Where to Watch

      Drunkboat

      Fandango at Home Prime Video Apple TV

      Rent Drunkboat on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

      Audience Reviews

      View All (7) audience reviews
      Audience Member Unfortunately, spectacular acting by John Malkovich can't save this film from itself and its hackneyed plot; there are some great moments but as a whole, it just didn't hold my interest, and I couldn't invest in the adolescent protagonist or his mother. No stakes - a wasted performance. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/23 Full Review william s Story of the lost trying to find their way....sometimes suceeds sometimes does'nt. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review philip s Drunkboat has been a long time coming. But at long last this poignant and moving film has finally seen the light of day. And while there are those who have obviously already had their say with this indie flick, one can't help but wonder if those critics were watching the same movie. Drunkboat is one of the year's top indie flicks. It has proven with its story and the acting of stars John Goodman and John Malkovich that indie flicks can be and are just as enjoyable and noteworthy as any film released by the major studios. The story behind this movie centers on Mort Gleason (John Malkovich). Mort is a recovering alcoholic who is trying to get his life back on track. The thing of it is that he still faces adversity as neither his (seeming) sister believes in him at first. Nor does her son, Abe (Jacob Zachar). Abe is a typical teenage boy. He thinks he knows everything. And thanks to Abe's plot to buy a boat from the unscrupulous Mr. Fletcher (John Goodman), Abe almost loses his way as he attempts to recover from his past. This is where things get just a tiny bit dicey. One can't help but scratch one's head in bewilderment at Abe's plan. Abe could have done any number of plans. But buying a boat just seems odd. But perhaps that could have been part of his character. Abe was just a teenager. So he was just doing something dumb and thoughtless like any other teenager. It doesn't have to make sense, as little of what the teenage mind does makes much sense. So keeping this in mind, those critics who have panned the movie for this quirkiness would be well served to go back and watch it again. Perhaps understanding this would give said critics a different view of things. The movie's central plot is really underrated. It obviously hasn't gotten the credit which it deserves. Malkovich's portrayal of mort is expert to say the least. It's his acting that anchors (no pun intended) this story. The irony is that while it's his acting that anchors the movie, John Goodman is billed as one of the movie's stars. The reality is that as amazing an actor as Goodman is, he's more or less just a supporting actor to Malkovich. In his own right though, Goodman's acting is equally impressive. It gives Malkovich something off of which he can bounce his lines and character. The pair is seen together in one scene near the story's end. But that one scene is powerful in itself. Thanks to Mr. Fletcher tempting Mort with alcohol and Abe verbally abusing him, audiences see Mort at his weakest and most innocent moment. It makes him a fully sympathetic character for audiences. And it makes Mr. Fletcher that much more despicable of a human being. This scene is not one of those over the top moments either. It's just enough to keep audiences watching to see what will happen. And it will make the movie's final moments all the more moving. Drunkboat clocks in at just under two hours. In that time, Mort's attempt to get his life back on track will keep audiences watching without even once checking the time. Malkovich's portrayal of Mort will make any viewer want to cheer for him as he shows that he is really making an attempt to get his life right. The relationship that he builds with Abe makes the story even more powerful. While other critics have obviously had their say on this work, those who go into this movie with an open mind will hopefully see it for the moving story that it is and that it truly is just as good as any film made by any major studio. It's proof that even in the twenty-first century, indie flicks are just as valid as anything else that's out there. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member awful dreary film for JM fans only. Avoid. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member I liked this movie a lot better than the critics or the audience so far have on Rotten Tomatoes did. Malkovich and Goodman were their usual brilliant selves and the dialogue was intriguing. It meandered, but it was not at all directionless. I thought the concept was great and the execution was pretty damned good. I can't understand why everyone else disliked it so much. I'm glad I ignored the ratings and watched it anyway. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/05/23 Full Review a z I'll watch anything with John Goodman and John Malkovich in it, but boy is this not worth it. There's a lot of dialogue, but the problem is most of it isn't compelling, as if the actors were improvising on shooting the shit for 90 minutes. On the other hand, nice minimalist score. Reminded me of The Kingdom in places. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

      Cast & Crew

      Show Less Cast & Crew Show More Cast & Crew

      More Like This

      View All Best Movies to Stream at Home
      47% 71% White Irish Drinkers 80% 67% Michael 87% 72% Rabbit Hole 54% 58% Welcome to the Rileys 56% 52% Janie Jones Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

      Photos

      View All Drunkboat photos

      Drunkboat

      Drunkboat (2010) Drunkboat (2010) View more photos

      Critics Reviews

      View All (13) Critics Reviews
      Farran Smith Nehme New York Post "Drunkboat" might have come off via nothing more than acting ability and a good heart, if the dialogue didn't amount mostly to aimless chit-chat. Rated: 2/4 Jul 13, 2012 Full Review Robert Abele Los Angeles Times The burnished smear of Lisa Rinzler's photography is a plus, but "Drunkboat" is ultimately the kind of pet project that never traverses from personal to powerful. Rated: 2/5 Jul 13, 2012 Full Review Rachel Saltz New York Times Though studied and grating at times, "Drunkboat" does sustain a distinct, odd tone. Like its characters it's dreamily restless and prey to its own quixotic ideas. Rated: 3/5 Jul 12, 2012 Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews Not even Malkovich could save such a leaky film, one that never stays afloat long enough to maintain an adequate focus on the family issues it raises. Rated: C+ Oct 23, 2017 Full Review Brent Simon Shockya.com A passion project ill suited to cinematic adaptation, or at least sludgy, unresolved, mannered and grating in its realized incarnation. Rated: D+ Jul 30, 2012 Full Review Todd Jorgenson Cinemalogue ... feels like an intimate, idiosyncratic acting workshop that might have worked better on stage. Jul 25, 2012 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis A teenager (Jacob Zachar) manipulates his troubled, boozy uncle (John Malkovich) into helping him acquire a beaten-up wooden sailboat.
      Director
      Bob Meyer
      Screenwriter
      Bob Meyer, Randy Buescher
      Production Co
      Left Bank Pictures
      Genre
      Drama
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Sep 11, 2015
      Most Popular at Home Now