The Greatest (2009) User Reviews

Spotty characterization undermines what could have been a great movie.

[lewiskendell · 6/10 · 13 August 2010]

"I want to know everything I would know if he was still alive. I want more memories of him."

After their teenage son Bennett (Aaron Johnson) dies in an accident, Allen and Grace (Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon) are left unable pick up the pieces and move on after his death. But when the young woman (Carey Mulligan) who's carrying Bennett's unborn baby arrives at their doorstep with nowhere else to go, the tension and pain of Bennett's death is brought forward in a way that will either destroy the family, or finally push them towards dealing with their grief. Scenes of Rose and Bennett's relationship before his death are also woven throughout the movie, and provide a nice way to better know the two characters.

The Greatest started off pretty well. The scenario of a family struggling with the loss of a child isn't an uncommon one, but the cast seemed well on their way to delivering a solid story about loss and healing. Mulligan was excellent, and Brosnan and Sarandon were solid, even though they occasionally didn't quite deliver the emotion that they were reaching for in a few scenes. No, my problem with The Greatest wasn't the actors or the premise, it was the writing.

The story takes the oddest detours at times, often with little relevance to, well...the actual story. This really seemed apparent with the character of Ryan, whose entire subplot with the girl he meets has little relevance on his character arc, and made his resolution feel artificial, as a result. And Rose and Allen's trip to a teenage party seemed completely out of place, and I was left wondering what it was supposed to add to the story. The characters also didn't appear to have a truly solid identity, and as a result, some of their decisions and interactions didn't come off as genuine. It's like writer and director Shana Feste had ideas about what she wanted to see happen in the movie, but didn't bother to build those ideas around relatable and believable characters. A movie like this depends on making a connection between the audience and the characters, and at times, that connection felt very hollow, for me.

The Greatest is an okay movie, but I'm convinced that it could have been much better with a script written by someone with a better grasp on creating solid characters.

Touching Film

[ArizWldcat · 8/10 · 15 February 2009]

This is not a "feel good" movie, but its feelings are true. The story follows a family (mother, father, brother) of a young man killed in a car accident in the first scene of the movie. Their lives are jumbled up by the introduction of the son's (brother's) girlfriend. I thought all of the actors turned in fine, powerful performances. Even more impressive is that the writer/director of the film was a first time filmmaker. That she was able to get such a marvelous cast in her first film is amazing. This movie reminded me of "Ordinary People," updated for today. Of course there are differences, but it's the same genre.

Although I recommend the movie, know that it's kind of a downer. I have a feeling it won't do well because these days people want movies that are more of the "feel good" variety.

A Great movie

[cl777 · 8/10 · 26 February 2010]

The Greatest, starring Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon, and Carey Mulligan (An Education), is a relatively unknown movie by a first time director (Shana Feste) that is nevertheless quite good.

Brosnan and Sarandon are married and play the grief stricken parents of two teenage boys, one of whom dies suddenly in a horrific traffic accident at the very beginning of the film. Sarandon is excellent and demonstrates she is a superior actress in her portrayal of a mother grieving I would almost say to the extreme. She is haunted by what happened to her son, by the fact that he stayed alive for 17 minutes and that she was not there to help him. She simply cannot get over the loss and resents her husband for moving on so quickly. A very poignant scene occurs when he offers her a bell, a sort of tool to help her with her grief, and tells her to ring it each time she thinks of their deceased son. She takes the bell from him and starts ringing it- non-stop. This and many other moments were extremely sad, showing how people cope with loss in very different ways.

Things get even more complicated with the early appearance of Carey Mulligan's character, the girlfriend of the late young man, and her surprise announcement. This leads to even more sadness and hurtful reminders for the mother, but also a certain easing of the pain for the father, which inevitably results in great tension between the couple. Sarandon gets especially furious, distressed and jealous when, trying to reach her husband during a break down, she finds his phone turned off and learns subsequently that he had gone to the movies with the young girl. The scene escalates so much with an almost silent force that Brosnan picks her up and throws her fully clothed into the ocean, to awaken her and make her see that her anguish is unreasonable and causing pain to the rest of the living members of their family.

The younger brother, appearing almost indifferent at first, succumbs to his emotions in the second half of the movie. The father, who keeps a cool demeanor and tries to hold the family together through his strength also finally collapses and interestingly, Sarandon picks up where he left off and comforts him, telling him that their son did not suffer. The whole family and their links are very credible and Brosnan astonished me by being particularly realistic.

Even if this movie is almost painful to watch due to the difficult subject matter, it is very well acted and written, making it extremely emotional and powerful. It ends well so do not be too afraid, but if you are a crier, a tear or two will definitely be shed.

My rating: 7.5 For more reviews please check out http://paulinasmovies.blogspot.com!!!

Treasure your family before its too late

[Gordon-11 · 21 February 2010]

This film is about a family who grief over the loss of their son in a traffic accident. This process is complicated by the unexpected arrival of a teenage girl who claims to have their son's unborn child.

"The Greatest" is powerful and touching. The mother, played by the amazing Susan Sarandon, is relentless in knowing the truth about her son's final moments. She gives such a moving performance that anyone gets saddened by her tragic loss. Carey Mulligan also deserves mention, as she displays a spectrum of convincing emotions effortlessly. Judging by the stream of great movies she is in, she will be a big star and Hollywood knows it.

"The Greatest" is a powerful story that moves anyone easily. As Susan Sarandon's character says, once your child is born, a woman knows that her child is the greatest. It is easy to relate to this statement, and yet everyone seems to be forgetting to celebrate this fact. As this film shows, you never know what you have got until its gone. "The Greatest" is a powerful reminder that you should treasure your family before its too late.

first class cast

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 18 September 2016]

Grace (Susan Sarandon) and Allen Brewer (Pierce Brosnan) are devastated when their son Bennett (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) is killed. He had stopped in the middle of the road to romance Rose (Carey Mulligan) when they get hit by Jordan Walker (Michael Shannon). Grace is obsessed with her son's last minutes with the criminal Jordan waiting for him to wake up from his coma. When a pregnant Rose shows up at their door, Grace is furious and disbelieving. Allen is more supportive of the homeless Rose. Bennett's black sheep younger brother Ryan (Johnny Simmons) struggles to deal with his family and he finds Ashley (Zoë Kravitz) in his support group.

The greatest part is the actors. There are some aspects that feels awkward. Grace's obsession is very obsessive. Her relationship with Rose is strange. It speaks to a dysfunction before Bennett's death. Carey Mulligan is enchanting and Pierce Brosnan is terrific. Aaron Taylor-Johnson doesn't fit the school star role. He's more of a geek. This is a sudsy soap that has plenty of family melodrama that is elevated by the first class cast.

A very emotional but very predictable movie

[jafar-iqbal · 7/10 · 26 September 2013]

A family is torn apart with grief when the eldest son is killed in a car crash. All the members of the family deal with the loss in different ways, alienating each other in the process. Things get even more complicated when a young woman turns up, pregnant with the dead son's child.

For a lot of the time, 'The Greatest' is a very depressing movie. There's a lot of crying, or people on the verge of crying, or people trying their best not to cry, and that isn't the most pleasant viewing experience in the world. However, to give credit where credit's due, writer/director Shana Feste has done a solid job of making it engaging and watchable. The subject matter is very interesting – how do a mother and father cope when their son dies? How does a young boy cope without his older brother? How does a young woman cope without the love of her life? Feste does a very good job of portraying the different expressions of grief and, while it's a bit depressing, it's also a bit cathartic.

Annoyingly though, the film starts to go a bit downhill in the final third. There's a since of harsh reality in that first two-thirds, but it gets a bit hokey towards the end. The film is immediately predictable, which is tough to avoid. But rather than offer some surprises, the movie gives you exactly what you expected, and does it with a healthy dose of Hollywood-esque melodrama.

Probably the most interesting character is Grace Brewer, played by Susan Sarandon. Obsessed with knowing every detail about her son's death, she seems to border on insanity at times. Ryan (Johnny Simmons) is also excellent as the younger brother, who is living in denial. It is a subtle performance from the young actor, and his eventual breakdown is one of the most emotional moments of the entire film.

And then you have the big let-down and the big show-stealer. The let-down first: Pierce Brosnan. The guy makes a great 007, a great one. But here, he felt really out of place. Brosnan is a good actor, don't get me wrong, but he has an AWFUL American accent and just isn't emotive enough. And on the opposite end of the spectrum is Carey Mulligan, the show-stealer. I love watching this girl act; she is a fantastic actress who never seems to put a step wrong. While her character in the movie might not have a lot of depth, she still manages to breathe life into it. Her personal journey is the one I felt most attached to and, again, it's predictable but interesting.

'The Greatest' is a very typical independent movie. A strong cast with good performances, an unconventional story that's solidly told, but with a number of flaws that stops it from getting better commercial success. It does have enough to warrant a watch, though. You might even shed a tear or two.

Filled with depression and grief, "The Greatest" is still good

[napierslogs · 6/10 · 8 August 2010]

"The Greatest" appears to have a dichotomy between its title and subject matter. You may expect a love story or a happy exploration of self and family, but it is a drama, in the saddest sense of the word.

It is a depressing tale of loss when a young man dies, his family and pregnant girlfriend grieve. Each character grieves in their own way, often with brusque and coarse actions resulting in many feelings of solitary - for both them and the audience. It is a slow and sorrowful film to watch; however, if you can get past all the depression and despondency, "The Greatest" does eventually live up to its title and delivers on its promises of being uplifting with life-affirmations of love and family.

All the actors really are phenomenal including Oscar-nominee Carey Mulligan and a new young actor I will be watching for, Johnny Simmons. For fans of loss and grieving films, "The Greatest" is good, but the great moments take a long time to form.

Death to Birth

[gradyharp · 9/10 · 13 June 2010]

THE GREATEST is a small film, quietly made in 28 days by first-time writer/director Shana Feste. The story/script is so unusual and touching that she was able to gather a rather extraordinary cast to bring this delicate story to life. It remains amazing to many of us that while the audiences flock to the gigantic CGI big noisy flicks, little jewels such as this film go completely unnoticed. The only hope is that enough people see this film now on DVD that that both the message of the movie and the quality of the acting and production gain the attention THE GREATEST so justly deserves.

Without introductory remarks the film opens with a brief prelude of the love between two (just graduated from high school) youngsters who after their first encounter with love pause on the drive home to attempt to make their feelings into words and BAM - a truck plunges into them and the boy Bennett (Aaron Johnson) is killed while the girl Rose (Carey Mulligan) is spared. The camera takes us rather abruptly to the graveside where the grieving parents Grace (Susan Sarandon) and Allen (Pierce Brosnan) and their young drug addicted son Ryan (Johnny Simmons) stare blankly into the hole that has been placed in the middle of their lives. None of the family copes with the death well: Grace can't stop talking and crying about Bennett and searches for a way to find out how Bennett spent the last 17 minutes of his life (that time between the accident and his death) to the point of attending to the truck driver (Michael Shannon) in coma at the local hospital, awaiting his recovery to learn about those 17 minutes; Allen is unable to sleep and tries to cope with the tragedy by not allowing mention of it in his home; Ryan, now on frequent tests to see if he is drug free, attempts to relate to a group therapy session of kids whose siblings have died.

Into this dysfunctional crumbling decimated family comes Rose, three months later, pregnant with Bennett's child, seeking refuge from a mother who is an addict. She is invited to move in, despite the fact that Grace loathes the idea and thinks Allen is merely trying to resolve the grief he has ever faced by attaching to Bennett's only girlfriend. The remainder of the story reveals how each of these injured four characters gradually interact and by bearing their personal grief with their own life problems manage to find a place where they can recover together.

The acting is superb as one would expect from such a talented cast: Carey Mulligan again shows us that she is an important emerging actress; Susan Sarandon allows us to see and understand the degrees of near insanity that grief for loss of a child can distort a life; and Pierce Brosnan proves he is a first-rate actor, managing a difficult role with great sensitivity. The rest of the cast is also excellent in very minor roles - Jennifer Ehle as an ex-lover of Allen, Aaron Johnson and Johnny Simmons as the brothers, and Michael Shannon as the driver of the truck who gradually awakens form his come to make Grace face some truths. As for Shana Feste, she is a strong artist and we should be seeing more beautifully crafted stories from her.

Grady Harp

Absolutely loved this movie

[princesstopaz93 · 10/10 · 15 July 2012]

A 6.6 out of 10 is disgusting, this movie was amazing and is definitely one of my favorites. I just finished it and I am still crying. I cried from start to finish, even laughed a little. Its heart warming in a kind of dark way. I will recommend this movie to everyone I know and will most definitely watch it again, and will more than likely cry just as much. Anyone debating on whether or not to watch this movie....WATCH IT! Its wonderful. Kept me interested from start to finish, awesome casting. This movie makes you feel like you knew Bennet and that you were grieving with the family. You feel their pain even though you may not have gone through something as tragic.

Acting so good this story becomes painful to watch

[juneebuggy · 7/10 · 11 October 2014]

Yeah this was a pretty depressing movie about a grief stricken couple who find chaos and comfort when they reluctantly take in a young woman (Cary Mulligan) who claims to be pregnant with the baby of their recently deceased son. It's filled with such great acting though, -and not just from the obvious (Pierce Brosnan & Susan Sarandon) so that you really get pulled into the story.

The family is such a mess after the death of their son that its almost painful to watch. Sarandon's character becomes a selfish bitch, for lack of a better word and Allen (Brosnan) just shuts down altogether. They both refuse to see the gift that is right in front of them in their sons unborn baby and his girlfriend who is just crying out for love and full of questions. I also enjoyed watching the younger brother deal with not only his brothers death but the decline of his parents and family as a whole. 08.13

Great substance, clumsy movie, but a tearjerker anyway...yeah, a confused mess, actually

[secondtake · 5/10 · 13 July 2010]

The Greatest (2009)

A crisis of youth becomes a crisis for a whole family, and it's serious stuff. There's an attempt, very conspicuous in gesture and angst filled expressions, to be gritty and real, and it's a believable scenario. It's a tearjerker, surely, an intimate psychodrama dripping in sentiment.

However, the movie depends almost purely on this terrible crisis to succeed, and that's actually slightly backwards, in movie terms. That is, it should be the writing and acting that sweeps us in and makes us share the grief of the main characters. You end up wanting to empathize, but it's sometimes despite the movie, which pushes very hard, like a friend who wants to make you feel bad about something. It has such touching moments it's hard to quite accept that a lot of it is clumsily written, almost like a high budget beginner's film, which sounds worse than I mean it. But you'll see, I think, even if you love it thoroughly, that it works modestly. So accept its flaws, ignore the obvious flashbacks to the good times, skip the dining room table where people are sitting all on one side so we can see them all from the camera, ignore the patter that is meant to make life ordinary and doesn't, and so on. Be forgiving or give it a pass.

What saves the movie (somewhat) from its excesses is the performance of the lead girl, Rose (Carey Mulligan), and the father, Mr. Brewer, played by Pierce Brosnan, who is a nuanced dad, whatever his James Bond pedigree, though neither one is given decent lines to work with. (Brosnan was also a producer, go figure.) The mother is meant to be disturbed in her grief, and she sure is. The sexy grad assistant is too too obvious even for the movies. And the brother, well, what is his role, actually, just to add a second improbable plot? And there is surveillance video of the crash, which is beyond even reasonable open-mindedness, given the isolation implied by the first several minutes of the movie. The sensationalism of that, alone, will warn you of what's to come.

Okay, one last confession. It gets so emotionally atomic at times, with the throbbing cellos coming in the background, I had to laugh out loud. I swear. And yet, I see how it deals with some truly, believably gorgeous stuff.

The son's room

[dbdumonteil · 10 May 2012]

Except for the baby ,the movie will remind Italian cinema buffs of "La Stanza DeL Figlio" and the part of Ryan is close to Conrad the young brother of "ordinary people" ;like in the contemporary "rabbit hole" each of the parents desperately searches for solace:the mother tries to talk to the other injured driver to know the last words of her son (whereas Nicole Kidman,fascinated by a comic ,wants to believe that in parallel universes ,her son is happy);the father tries to live again,goes to the movie theater with the pregnant girlfriend,attends the echography whereas his wife quickly leaves the room "if you lose your dog,we're not given a puppy!" The cast is excellent ,particularly Pierce Brosnan,cast against type :he and his younger son seem to have overcome the pain,but when they finally break down,their despair and their tears are deeply moving.The flashbacks are short and effective ,particularly the last one which is also the end of the movie and which is not a goodbye but a hello.

Entertaining but predictable emotional drama

[mrcibubur · 6/10 · 27 September 2010]

This is a very watchable entertaining but alas predictable emotional drama which appeared short on the run time. Certainly a tear jerker and there was good acting by Pierce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon and Harey Mulligan.

The young Son is killed in the car crash and it brings his girlfriend played by Harey Mulligan into contact with his parents and a close relationship forms between them especially as the girl is carrying their Sons baby.

the title for me doesn't fit what the film was really about which centred around a family struggling to terms with the sudden loss of a loved one. More appropriate to a movie about Muhammed Ali or Schumacher or someone in a sporting or artistic context. It wont be top of your list for viewing I suspect but Brosnan never makes a bad movie and Sarandon contrasts with her role in 'Peacock' just as the young girl contrasts with her star role in 'An Education'

An emotional drama that you feel the hurtful pain only it ends on a happy note with the birth of hope.

[blanbrn · 7/10 · 3 September 2010]

"The Greatest" a small independent release is one feel good film of dealing with hurtful and painful emotions, and it's carried along by a stellar cast of well known people like Brosnan, Sarandon, and newcomer Mulligan. As the story is heartfelt and tragic it speaks volumes to show how many families have to cope with the loss of a loved one. Only the strong survive as in the end a new born treasure takes away much of the pain and brings those hurt together.

Carey Mulligan is Rose a young teenager who becomes pregnant after her first sexual experience and right after her partner is tragically killed in an auto collision. That's left his parents Grace(Susan Sarandon)and Allen(Pierce Brosnan)unable to deal with the daily stresses and coping methods as waking up each day is a day of hell especially for Grace(and Sarandon was in emotional top form). Then one day Rose shows up at the doorstep claiming to be pregnant with their dead sons child.

It's painful for Allen to accept and Grace takes it even harder as the pain and pressures are still ever present as they must also deal with raising their other teenage son. Finally after breakdowns and sorrow tears the acceptance is welcomed and Rose gives birth bringing everyone together and it's like family. Overall this film is a little painful to watch especially emotionally yet it proves a relief to sorrow and tears can come unexpectedly and off schedule. Really a good little indie picture that ends with joy after riding the tide of pain.

Very sad story

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 22 March 2024]

Here's an interesting bit of trivia about The Greatest: the sections featuring Carey Mulligan and Aaron Taylor-Johnson were originally supposed to be shown in chronological order at the start of the movie. Then, after Aaron's death, the rest of the drama would unfold with Susan Sarandon and Pierce Brosnan. Someone at the studio, or perhaps focus testing, thought the story wasn't interesting if told linearly, and so the final edit was changed.

Whichever way you watch it, Carey and Aaron were enjoying young teenaged love until he died in a car crash. Aaron's parents, Susan and Pierce, are destroyed and express their grief in different ways. Everyone's forced to come together when Carey finds out she's pregnant. Usually, I'm the first to ask, "Why is abortion never discussed in movies?", but in this case, I completely understand. While it's not fair to automatically burden Carey with carrying the baby to term while she's practically a baby herself, it would be heartless for her to suggest to the grieving would-be grandparents that she terminate the pregnancy. This is a very emotional story, so get out your hankies. You'll see some great acting, but you'll also sit through an incredibly sad story.

Best of Sundance!

[vivlynn28 · 10/10 · 30 January 2009]

I saw over 20 films at Sundance this year and The Greatest was by far my favorite. The performances were truly special - I suspect (as a lot of people do) Carey Mulligan and Jhonny Simmons will become big stars because of this movie. Pierce was quite good as well - he shows a side we've never seen before and I applaud him for that. I've never been a big Bond fan but now I am a Pierce fan for sure. There is an excellent soundtrack to the movie - a lot of great bands - some that I actually wrote down and plan to check out. It was a lot more polished than anything I had seen in Sundance - it looked and felt like a real movie. The woman next to me went thru a box of tissues - it's pretty emotional but I left the theater feeling hopeful as opposed to sad. If it comes out in theaters I think it will do really well.

The Greatest review

[JoeytheBrit · 6/10 · 7 May 2020]

A study of the all-consuming grief suffered by parents unlucky enough to lose a child is given a boost by the presence of Susan Sarandon. Brosnan also does a good job, but there's nowhere near the level of emotional impact one would expect from such a topic.

disappointing

[movieoooo · 1/10 · 19 January 2009]

Well if the only goal was to make old ladies in the audience cry then mission succeeded.

This film is simply not that good. It isn't entertaining to watch, the characters don't make us want to now more about them. There is little to no tension as the story develops.

Also S. Sarandon is terrible. Its like she just showed up on set, read her lines from a card and left. Its a shame because Brosnan is quite good. Although even if she had done a good job I'm not sure the film could be saved.

The cinematography is fine, but not amazing. The new jersey shots look different that the new york shots, almost like they are different movies. Other than that the film looks OK.

I wouldn't waste my time on this one.

Sentimentality is its strength ...or its downfall

[rooprect · 30 April 2018]

"The Greatest" feels like a Hallmark Channel movie with top A-list actors. Depending on what you think of the Hallmark Channel, this is either a compliment or an insult. As my title implies, sentimentality drives this story, not suspense or plot twists. Everything is (deliberately) predictable, meaning the actors' performances are the real attraction.

The story is about a dysfunctional family dealing with mourning and the extreme ways each person handles it, mostly in unflattering ways as if to show us how NOT to handle tragedy. The plot focuses on how they slowly attempt to reconcile their differences. The father (Pierce Brosnan) plays the stereotypical head of the household who refuses to break. The mother (Susan Sarandon) plays the self-absorbed victim who feels like she's the only one who's in pain. The son/brother (Johnny Simmons) totally disconnects as if he doesn't care. And a mysterious stranger who was the secret girlfriend (Carey Mulligan) represents the objective voice of reason with her wise, tolerant perspective, never really revealing her own struggle but instead seeking to draw the others out of their respective prisons.

If that description bores you, then you'll probably be bored by the movie. But if the core premise interests you, then give it a shot.

Although I said there are no plot twists, there are a few interesting complications (revealed right in the beginning) which spice up the story. Themes of infidelity, drug addiction, convicted criminals and unplanned pregnancy add some interesting flavor. But those remain off to the side so not to upstage the main story.

The climax and resolution comes down to a painful cliché which made me hate the movie at first, but now 24 hours later I think sometimes a cliché is the best way to make a point. I'm just mentioning that in case you have a similar reaction: give it some thought.

If you are looking for other quiet movies that focus on themes of loss and grieving, I recommend "Morning" (2010) - five chapters, or days, in the life of a couple suffering a tragedy; and on the lighter side I highly recommend "Marilyn Hotchkiss' Ballroom Dancing & Charm School" (2005) - the only movie that has multiple tragic deaths but manages to get your toes tapping to the Lindy Hop.

Carey Mulligan, Perce Brosnan, Susan Sarandon

[sjanders-86430 · 10/10 · 22 December 2020]

A love scene, a car crash, a pregnancy take us quickly into the plot. The parents are devastated by The Greatest; the loss of their son. The second son is troubled. Carey Mulligan wants to share the pregnancy with her lover's parents. The baby is theirs as well. The script needs tightening. Sarandon emotes a river while Brosnan befriends Mulligan. It is a valid remark that Mulligan is too happy in this film playing a pregnant woman with no friends, family, or man. Still Mulligan is a favorite as is Brosnan. I liked the scene where Brosnan throws Sarandon into the ocean.

Powerful story of family grief.

[wmjaho · 8/10 · 19 January 2009]

Anyone that has ever lost a child has plumbed the depths of grief. And while numerous movies have tried to depict that paralyzing depression, most fall well short of the mark. (I recall In the Bedroom from Sundance 2001, starring Sissy Spacek, Tom Wilkinson and Marissa Tomei—it was good, but couldn't fully expose the raw nerve laid bare with the passing of a child.)

The Greatest provides a powerful glimpse into the depths of a family's grief. Writer-Director Shana Feste delivers a finely-honed script and very capable direction to give the actors plenty of room to deal with their emotional burdens while still keeping the story moving along. One reason is the deft interlacing of the backstory that led to 18-year-old Bennett Brewer's death—a violent collision while his car sat in the middle of the road and he spoke fervently to Rose (British actress Carey Mulligan). Bennett's parents, played by Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon, find Rose thrust into their lives, and along with brother Sean (Miles Robbins—son of Sarandon and Tim Robbins) they all deal with their loss.

While the script is tight, the acting is even better. Brosnan gives the performance of his life as the mathematics professor who is emotionally devastated but can't let it out. And Sarandon is equally impressive as the obsessive mother whose grief is pushing the borders of her sanity. But the real find may be Mulligan, who has an Audrey Tautou (Amelie) innocent vibrancy that declares a star is born.

As one might expect, this is an emotionally wrenching movie, but not an entirely depressing one. There is a message of hope, even though it might come in a package too conveniently wrapped and delivered. And while its theme may be a problem at the box office, those that take it in will be rewarded for their investment.

Sundance Moment: Director Feste told the audience she wrote the script while she was a nanny. Sarandon said she didn't like seeing the movie, but never revealed why. Perhaps because it dealt so vividly with a painful subject. But maybe because the movie made her look old, haggard and an emotional wreck. Props to her for taking the role.

Incredibly dull

[nicholls_les · 2/10 · 3 August 2021]

Despite a good cast and interesting story line, the movie did nothing to grasp my attention, I was constantly waiting for something to happen that made any sense. The characters were so unbelievable and hard to like or feel any empathy for and the story consistently went off at tangents that were pretty pointless. Susan Sarandon is completely unbelievable, she over acts and underacts throughout. Carey Mulligan is most convincing and Pierce Brosnan is a great actor who deserves better than this type of movie.

The tearjerker is back, and better than ever!

[CountShylock · 10/10 · 24 January 2009]

Subtlety reigns supreme in this delicate yet confident debut from writer/director Shana Feste. The entire cast delivers nuanced performances. Brosnan's steady, buttoned-up turn as the father of a recently deceased child, is capped off by an emotional explosion that could rival any actual explosion from the actor's Bond days. Newcomer Carey Mulligan surprises as the warm epicenter of this otherwise (realistically) grim journey into familial grief. "The Greatest" is the most recent film (after 2002's "Far From Heaven") to carry on the tradition of teary family dramas (from "Imitation of Life" through "Ordinary People" and "Terms of Endearment"). Feste isn't afraid to let the camera linger on the Brewer family (including spot-on performances by Susan Sarandon and Johnny Simmons, as well as the aforementioned tour-de- force by Brosnan) as they struggle to cope with the death of their "all-around good guy" son. What results is a film with a maturity and patience that is far beyond what should be coming from a first time director. I was impressed. I welcome Feste reclaiming the tearjerker. I didn't realize how sorely I missed movies about actual people dealing with actual problems, fighting against and submitting to actual emotions. If you're looking for a (genuinely earned) good cry, "The Greatest" is for you.

Loss, sorrow and distress

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 12 September 2013]

The Greatest is a study of grief, how it affects one dysfunctional family, whose son is killed in a motor accident. Three months later, their son's girlfriend arrives and she is pregnant.

In some ways the film did remind me of Ordinary People. However despite getting a fine cast with Pierce Brosnan and Susan Sarandon as the grieving parents. It is let down by first time writer and director who could not weave a strong enough screenplay.

It is well acted but feels flat. Michael Shannon and Jennifer Ehle make brief appearances. Shannon plays the truck driver who was also involved in the accident and provides illumination as to what happened to the son between the accident and his passing.

There is eventually a resolving of this emotional drama as the family begin to deal with their loss and realise the need to pull together.

For the ones who grieved

[MuzafferBayraktar · 9/10 · 27 June 2013]

I cried more than once during this movie. I recalled the ones I cared. It doesn't have to be a person what you lost. Something you cared about. I'm a 32 year old guy looking tough with enough physical and mental proof. I thought that I'm really messed up while watching the movie and crying at the very same time. I don't know how I would have felt if I never had lost anything big in my life. But I did and this movie gave me a great relief like someone I don't know understood what I've been through and said "Hey, I have the same thing. I got you. Everything will be alright". It might give you the same relief it gave me. I can't talk in the name of you. But you should give this movie a chance. Maybe it will say something for you no one ever did before.