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Why Stop Now?

Play trailer Poster for Why Stop Now? R Released Aug 17, 2012 1h 27m Comedy Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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25% Tomatometer 20 Reviews 28% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Scoring drugs for his addict mother (Melissa Leo) is but one of a piano prodigy's (Jesse Eisenberg) problems as he tries to get his family's affairs in order before he heads out to an important audition.

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Why Stop Now?

Critics Reviews

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Jordan Hoffman ScreenCrush The alleged comedy 'Why Stop Now' is here to prove that when it tries really, really hard to be awful it can overcome the obstacle of having a terrific cast. Rated: 2/10 Aug 21, 2012 Full Review Kyle Smith New York Post Drug abuse stories are to Hollywood what babies are to mothers: fascinating to the talkers, not so interesting for their audiences. Rated: 2/4 Aug 17, 2012 Full Review Robert Abele Los Angeles Times Feels trapped in the limbo between comedy and drama where many indies gamely venture, but from which few emerge with any resonance. Rated: 2/5 Aug 16, 2012 Full Review Richard Haridy Quickflix It descends into a series of mawkish, over-melodramatic scenes that are entirely unearned and often unpleasantly noisy. It's never especially funny or dramatic and leaves the viewer feeling unsure of what the filmmakers were really trying to achieve. Rated: 2.5/5 Mar 4, 2014 Full Review Chelsey Grasso Paste Magazine An odd mix of blatantly comedic moments and strangely serious scenes, Why Stop Now finds itself stranded on an odd middle ground between comedy and drama. Aug 23, 2012 Full Review S. Jhoanna Robledo Common Sense Media Young man's very bad day includes drugs, swearing, more. Rated: 2/5 Aug 21, 2012 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Not bad or good but better than the ratings suggest 2.8 Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/11/21 Full Review Audience Member Critics wouldn't know a good movie if it smashed them in the face Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/26/23 Full Review Audience Member I wouldn't call it a comedy but I enjoyed it and had a fun time watching it. it had a few good laughs here and there Rated 3 out of 5 stars 11/29/18 Full Review Audience Member Not really sure what the point or plot was of this?!? It's definitely not a comedy - sure, it has Tracy Morgan swearing a few times, but no real laughs. It's just about Eisenberg trying to get his junkie mum (Leo) to rehab - hilarious. Then it's just the three of them, plus Whitlock Jr., driving around. No excitement or coherence, or fun. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member A bit all over but i was sold by the chaos and crux of this coming of age mini-drama and not to mention the beautiful piano pieces Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Featuring fine natural performances from Eisenberg, Leo, and Morgan, "Why Stop Now?" successfully combines comedy/drama without ever being one-sided on a specific genre; There are real moments of human understanding in each character: Eisenberg loves and wants the best for his mother but suffers from a drinking problem (also unresolved storyline?); Leo is clear and loves both of her children but has a drug abuse issue that she is clearly in denial of; Morgan is a charismatic drug-dealer who encourages Eisenberg to pursue his gift of playing the piano because Morgan was unsuccessful in making the big leagues with his track and field career. These characters play out as real believable people: Dreamers with great intentions with some flaw that undermines their better judgment. The concept of "a day in the life" flows smoothly and showcases the hectic, madcap misadventures that Eisenberg must endure in order for him to get his mother into rehab and get to his audition. There is potential to explore some underdeveloped story lines (Eisenberg's drinking problem) and some story lines that could have been removed altogether (Eisenberg's love interest and the Revolutionary War reenactment that floods through town). "Why Stop Now?" is more realistic, emotional version of "Pineapple Express" and I would recommend it as a possible rental. 3/5 Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Why Stop Now?

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Cast & Crew

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Ron Nyswaner

Director

Phil Dorling

Director

Jesse Eisenberg

Eli Bloom

Melissa Leo

Penny Bloom

Tracy Morgan

Sprinkles

Emma Rayne Lyle

Nicole

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Why Stop Now?

(L-R) Jesse Eisenberg as Eli, Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Black, Emma Rayne Lyle as Nicole, Tracy Morgan as Sprinkles and Melissa Leo as Penny in "Why Stop Now?." (L-R) Tracy Morgan as Sprinkles, Jesse Eisenberg as Eli and Isiah Whitlock Jr. as Black in "Why Stop Now?." (L-R) Jesse Eisenberg as Eli and Tracy Morgan as Sprinkles in "Why Stop Now?." Why Stop Now? (2012) Why Stop Now? (2012) Why Stop Now? (2012) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Scoring drugs for his addict mother (Melissa Leo) is but one of a piano prodigy's (Jesse Eisenberg) problems as he tries to get his family's affairs in order before he heads out to an important audition.
Director
Ron Nyswaner, Phil Dorling
Producer
Claude Dal Farra, Brice Dal Farra, Lauren Munsch, Paul Prokop, Neda Armian, Ron Nyswaner
Screenwriter
Phil Dorling, Ron Nyswaner
Distributor
IFC Films
Production Co
BCDF Pictures, Armian Pictures
Rating
R (Language Throughout|Drug Content)
Genre
Comedy, Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 17, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Nov 30, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.6K
Runtime
1h 27m
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