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Starting Out in the Evening

Play trailer Poster for Starting Out in the Evening PG-13 Released Nov 23, 2007 1h 50m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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89% Tomatometer 96 Reviews 70% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
A complex relationship develops between Leonard (Frank Langella), an academic novelist of advancing years, and Heather (Lauren Ambrose), a determined, fresh-faced graduate student doing her master's thesis on Leonard's career. Leonard keeps everyone at an emotional distance, including his devoted daughter, Ariel (Lili Taylor), and her unsettled boyfriend, Casey (Adrian Lester). Heather's attention, although motivated by selfish interests, forces Leonard to reexamine his life.
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Starting Out in the Evening

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Critics Consensus

Starting Out in the Evening features sharp dialogue and moving performances from the talented Frank Langella and Lili Taylor.

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Critics Reviews

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David Fear Time Out Rated: 2/5 Nov 17, 2011 Full Review Jonathan F. Richards Film.com Starting Out in the Evening is thrilling in a way that a movie larded with car chases and explosions can seldom be, because of the way it deals with that basic building block of civilization, the creative process. Feb 24, 2008 Full Review Marc Savlov Austin Chronicle Wagner's film is an elegy of sorts for that once-mighty beast known as the New York Writer, a creature that now finds itself increasingly marginalized in a world in which readers are getting scarcer and shelf space for serious fiction is dwindling daily. Rated: 3/5 Feb 8, 2008 Full Review Debbie Lynn Elias Behind The Lens Grace. Sophistication. Intelligence. Heart. We should all be so fortunate to be Starting Out In The Evening of our own lives. Nov 15, 2019 Full Review Dorothy Woodend The Tyee (British Columbia) For all its sturm and drang, there is an elegiac quality about the film, maybe because fewer and fewer people apparently care very much about writing or writers. Aug 22, 2017 Full Review Wesley Lovell Cinema Sight A bravura performance from Frank Langella blended into a lackluster story. Rated: 2.5/4 Sep 30, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Why did Leonard smack Heather? Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Audience Member A sensitive performance by Frank Langella gives this slow-moving drama some punch. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/27/23 Full Review Audience Member Kannatti katsoa!! (Suom. Elämä kuin romaani) Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/23/23 Full Review Frances H Another good performance for Frank Langella and Lili Taylor in this tale of an author, once famous, now living his last years in obscurity and trying to write one last good novel. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/17/15 Full Review Audience Member This is the type of movie I generally love, but there's still something missing from it. Langella is very good, as is Ambrose, though I don't think her character as written really comes off the page. Lily Taylor; man, there's just something about her, she has a natural aura of beauty/grace/whatever that the camera is unexpectedly able to pick up, and has been apparent since I first saw her in a film (probably Say Anything). The 2nd half feels like it falls a bit off for some reason. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Langella's performance is the only reason to watch this movie. His performance was amazing, but the whole story was rather unimpressive. Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars 01/13/23 Full Review Read all reviews
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Starting Out in the Evening

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Movie Info

Synopsis A complex relationship develops between Leonard (Frank Langella), an academic novelist of advancing years, and Heather (Lauren Ambrose), a determined, fresh-faced graduate student doing her master's thesis on Leonard's career. Leonard keeps everyone at an emotional distance, including his devoted daughter, Ariel (Lili Taylor), and her unsettled boyfriend, Casey (Adrian Lester). Heather's attention, although motivated by selfish interests, forces Leonard to reexamine his life.
Director
Andrew Wagner
Producer
Nancy Israel, Fred Parnes, Andrew Wagner, Gary Winick, Jake Abraham
Screenwriter
Fred Parnes, Andrew Wagner
Distributor
Roadside Attractions
Production Co
InDiGent Entertainment
Rating
PG-13 (Sexual Content|Language|Brief Nudity)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Nov 23, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Dec 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA)
$902.1K
Runtime
1h 50m
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