The Death and Life of John F. Donovan

R

Released Dec 13, 2019

2 hr. 3 min.

Drama

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List

19%

32 Reviews

Tomatometer

54%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

A young actor reminisces about a dead American TV star and the correspondence they shared.

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Critics Consensus

The Death and Life of John F. Donovan finds writer-director Xavier Dolan flailing at profundity with a technically assured drama that never makes sense of its own ideas.

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John B

I thought it was ok overall as the story started out interesting, but never really seemed to lead anywhere with the characters and by the end of it, I still wasn't really sure who John Donovan was.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

07/14/23

Full Review

Dominique S

Tried my best to like this because of Kit but it was all over the place.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

Full Review

jelisije j

The life and death of a closet gay book writer celebrity and the young boy who tells his tale of the man who gave him the courage to be himself.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

stewart m

Lots of really good actors trying to make a schmaltzy script work. Cringeworthy at times.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

andy n

The film is complicated, too complicated! Long, very long! There is little love! Good ending, and good lines of letter at the end of the film. But still, it's boringly contrived and not original!

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The film tried too hard to be profound - and instead was simply boring.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

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Xavier Dolan

Director

Kit Harington

John F. Donovan

Natalie Portman

Sam Turner

Jacob Tremblay

Rupert Turner

Susan Sarandon

Grace Donovan

Kathy Bates

Barbara Haggermaker

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The Death and Life of John F. Donovan: Trailer 1

2:50

The Death and Life of John F. Donovan: International Trailer 1

2:46

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Jeannette Catsoulis

New York Times

From its contrived structure to its forced speechifying, this story... never acquires the emotional potency or coherence its themes demand.

Dec 12, 2019

Full Review

Mike D'Angelo

AV Club

In any case, what remains of John F. Donovan is a barely coherent mess, and so eager for your approval that it's hard to feel anything but sorry for it.

Rated: C-

Dec 11, 2019

Full Review

Peter Debruge

Variety

A work of stunning technique eclipsed by its increasingly jaw-dropping solipsism...

Sep 13, 2018

Full Review

Ben Turner

The Pink Lens

Nothing but a prestige piece for a fictional character with inexplicable iconoclasm and half-baked coming-of-age schmaltz that tries really hard - and fails - to pluck at the heart strings. This is a fairly major misfire for Dolan.

Rated: 2/5

Sep 1, 2021

Full Review

Jason Adams

My New Plaid Pants

Man this thing flounders. My only thought at its end was what, pray tell, was the point of all this?

Jul 14, 2021

Full Review

Luke Gorham

In Review Online

These moments lead us to Dolan the pedant, whose explicit articulation of ideas obscures a career-long attention to character and form.

Jul 29, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

A young actor reminisces about a dead American TV star and the correspondence they shared.

Director: Xavier Dolan
Screenwriter: Xavier Dolan, Jacob Tierney
Distributor: Momentum Pictures
Production Co: Warp Films, Lyla Films
Rating: R (Some Sexual Material|Language Throughout)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 13, 2019, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 13, 2019

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