47
Metascore
8 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Philadelphia InquirerSteven ReaPhiladelphia InquirerSteven ReaHickernell's film aesthetic is straightforward, narrative-driven.
- The turns the film takes toward the end do offer a few surprises, particularly in the form of redemption for the waffling hero-not in running after the ones he loves, but in standing by them when they need him.
- 50The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenIf Lebanon, Pa. is a tidy little indie with steady acting, it is too politically self-aware to transcend its well-mannered sense of fairness. But the performances by Ms. Kitson and Ms. Hurt give it spritzes of energy.
- Lebanon, Pa. is a few strong moments of storytelling lost in a sea of indie cliche.
- 40Time OutEric HynesTime OutEric HynesThe culture wars may be simmering throughout writer-director Ben Hickernell's script-the Save the Whales and pro-choice bumper stickers on Will's VW invite a brutal barfly beatdown-but the real casualties are momentum and narrative cohesion.
- 40Village VoiceVillage VoiceLebanon, Pa. begins as a tale about male, middle-aged self-discovery, but soon becomes something quite different: a clear-eyed if crassly manipulative take on the culture wars.
- 38New York PostKyle SmithNew York PostKyle SmithThis mild drama plays out like one of those dull message movies that TV networks used to crank out almost weekly, but the earnestness is at times almost appealingly old-fashioned.