63
Metascore
25 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 91Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanEntertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanThe Great Buck Howard is in love with kitsch, the backwaters of showbiz, and true magic. It's a wee charmer that left me enchanted.
- 88Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertI firmly believe such illusions are never the result of psychic powers, but I am fascinated by them, anyway. The wisdom of this film, directed and written by Sean McGinly, is to never say.
- 80Film ThreatFilm ThreatA fine little comedy and a hilarious character study of an ego gone wild.
- 70The Hollywood ReporterThe Hollywood ReporterA warm, amiable glimpse at the end of the showbiz road.
- 70VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangBehind-the-curtains comedy reps an amusing showcase for John Malkovich's diva-like theatrics in the title role.
- 63ReelViewsJames BerardinelliReelViewsJames BerardinelliLike its main character, the production rarely seems ready for prime time.
- 58The A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe A.V. ClubNathan RabinBuck Howard has a nice feel for its tacky, second-rate show-business milieu--a rinky-dink world of telethons, small towns starved for entertainment, and entertainers whose careers have been in freefall since Hollywood Squares went off the air.
- 50The New YorkerAnthony LaneThe New YorkerAnthony LaneThe only person who wakes the movie from its slumbers is Emily Blunt. She gets a nothing role as a publicist, and makes something both sultry and casual out of it.
- 50Village VoiceVillage VoiceMalkovich swallows up the screen, and when he's out of frame, the movie feels slack and slow.
- 50Boston GlobeWesley MorrisBoston GlobeWesley MorrisThis is an old man's movie, without an old man's experience. Despite McGinly's stated affection for Kreskin (the movie ends with a written appreciation of him), there's nothing personal about it. It's the movie equivalent of handing us a business card.