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The Life Before Her Eyes

Play trailer Poster for The Life Before Her Eyes R Released Apr 18, 2008 1h 30m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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24% Tomatometer 95 Reviews 51% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
As the 15th anniversary of a fatal high school shooting approaches, former pupil Diana McFee is haunted by memories of the tragedy. After losing her best friend Maureen in the attack, Diana has been profoundly affected by the incident - her seemingly perfect life shaped by the events of that day.
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The Life Before Her Eyes

The Life Before Her Eyes

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Critics Consensus

Despite earnest performances, Life Before Her Eyes is a confusing, painfully overwrought melodrama.

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Critics Reviews

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Hank Sartin Time Out Rated: 1/5 Nov 18, 2011 Full Review Leo Goldsmith indieWire A hopelessly overblown melodrama, which oversteps its mark with pretensions of narrative complexity and social currency Aug 8, 2009 Full Review Anton Bitel Little White Lies [Perelman] over-explains everything at the end with a montage of repeated scenes that ensures you never need see this film more than once. Aug 7, 2009 Full Review Jason Best Movie Talk Some viewers will find the film's dreamlike mood overly arty and precious, but I was moved by its depiction of lives held in the balance on the cusp of adulthood. Nov 21, 2020 Full Review Mattie Lucas From the Front Row Falls flat under the weight of its own self importance. Rated: 2/4 Jul 6, 2019 Full Review Annie Wagner The Stranger (Seattle, WA) Every retouched color and dramatic visual effect serves to pollute the movie's already sloppy metaphysics with an unpleasant strain of hysteria. Aug 22, 2017 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (908) audience reviews
jelisije j A tragic yet heartfelt story which is mostly irrelevant with its third act. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review robert p I guess I liked this movie more than anybody, I am a fan of Uma Thurman from many movies, especially KILL BILL 1 & 2. I had figured out the twist long before the ending, even at the beginning I knew we were going to see the movie through the eyes of Uma Thurman who was dying why the title of the movie says it all. Three and 1/2 stars is what I give this film!!! Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review gene r I think this approach to story-telling is an ingenuous attempt to appear sophisticated. I look at it primarily as a story that betrays itself. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member This has spoilers: I was so irritated to get to the damn ending that when it happened, and it had a meaningless twist, I was angered that I had wasted my time on this. This is one of the most drawn-out movies I've seen in years. So basically, adult Diana's guilt doesn't come from her choosing her friend to die but instead comes from...what? If indeed her character dies as a teenager and this is her imagined future during her dying moments, then why is the guilt played so heavily? It ends up being the proverbial red herring, as I anticipated that once she admitted her guilt in having her friend die instead of herself, she would finally be free, and that indeed would have been a profound scene. But instead we get... THIS. I'm more pissed at having watched a pretentious movie than a flat-out bad one. It gets one and a half stars for the performances, which were fine. The story? Zero stars. I'll forget it as soon as I stop typing. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Audience Member This movie is in my top 20. Maybe my top 10. It's different. It is fresh. Plus Uma Thurman is always amazing. There is a great twist here. There is heartfelt drama. The first day i saw this on DVD I must have re-watched it 3 times. I can't say enough good things about this film. The entire movie centers around a mass school shooting that is played out before your eyes in a hallway and bathroom where our protagonist and best friend are given a choice. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/08/23 Full Review Audience Member The plot here is OK and the performances are fine but the movie is way too melodramatic with a crummy twist ending. Movies that are focused around school shootings can always be difficult with this film has bad writing and directing to boot. It’s a choppy film that could’ve been much better giving the talent on screen. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 10/31/20 Full Review Read all reviews
The Life Before Her Eyes

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis As the 15th anniversary of a fatal high school shooting approaches, former pupil Diana McFee is haunted by memories of the tragedy. After losing her best friend Maureen in the attack, Diana has been profoundly affected by the incident - her seemingly perfect life shaped by the events of that day.
Director
Vadim Perelman
Producer
Vadim Perelman, Anthony Katagas, Aimee Peyronnet
Screenwriter
Emil Stern
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Production Co
2929 Productions
Rating
R (Language|Brief Drug Use|Violent and Disturbing Content)
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 18, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$303.4K
Runtime
1h 30m
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