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The Park Bench

Play trailer 2:01 Poster for The Park Bench 2015 1h 23m Romance Comedy Play Trailer Watchlist
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Tomatometer 4 Reviews 84% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
Sparks fly between a Latino student (Walter Perez) and a neurotic tutor (Nicole Hayden) who meets him three times a week to help him pass a literature class.
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The Park Bench

Critics Reviews

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Roxana Hadadi Punch Drunk Critics 01/09/2017
2.5/5
The Park Bench has some moments of genuine emotion, and the falling-in-love-over-literature idea is a solid one. But it never attempts to be more than a product of its genre, and in that way, The Park Bench is too limited for its own good. Go to Full Review
Katie Walsh Los Angeles Times 08/20/2015
A sweet tale with a smart storytelling device and charming performers, but not much more beyond the cute. Go to Full Review
Scott Tobias Variety 08/20/2015
Despite winning performances, something about this wispy two-hander just doesn't sit right. Go to Full Review
Mae Abdulbaki Movies with Mae 05/02/2019
2.5/5
LeSchander shows a lot of strength in her debut feature, but because of the unchanging setting, The Park Bench could have perhaps been better if it had been situated on a stage rather than onscreen. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Danny H 07/13/2024 If you truly love books and film, and believe in the possibility of triumph over the mundane, you cannot watch this film without constantly feeling it tug at your heart. There are themes, bits of light comedy, touching moments, and just as a literary journey leads to unexpected discoveries, this honest depiction of an emotional journey, framed as if it was a modern retelling of the folk stories about love that the characters share with each other, keeps surprising, and enchanting, those whose spirits can open enough to let it in, to allow it to live with the part of you that matters. See more 12/10/2020 Beautiful. Want to find the soundtrack desperately. See more 03/29/2020 Lots of good, interesting dialogue. A sweet little movie to watch to put a smile on your face! See more 08/09/2019 I loved it. The acting was sensational. The story revealed the content of the tutoring, literature that Emily could teach well and that Mateo lived as truth. Emily was Prufrock -- until she wasn't. Walter Perez and Nicole Hayden were a great match with wonderful on-screen chemistry. Skillful plot development. I've watched it several times. The stories with the story enriched the characters and strengthened their growing connection. Thank you for this labor of love! See more 11/19/2018 This movie surprised me with its winning performances and charm. As it moved along I was so engaged with the characters and felt like I was truly peeking in on a slice of life. They seemed so real that I became very invested in their relationship. I also loved the animation. I hope people will find this movie because it's a real gem. See more 03/31/2017 What a gem of a movie! It may seem simple but it felt very real. I loved how the relationship evolved. And the stories they tell were really engaging. Very sweet! See more Read all reviews
The Park Bench

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Movie Info

Synopsis Sparks fly between a Latino student (Walter Perez) and a neurotic tutor (Nicole Hayden) who meets him three times a week to help him pass a literature class.
Director
Ann LeSchander
Producer
Ann LeSchander, Angel Thompson, Walter Perez
Screenwriter
Ann LeSchander
Production Co
Angel Powers Productions, Cake & Ice Cream Productions
Genre
Romance, Comedy
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 21, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 25, 2017
Runtime
1h 23m
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