Except for a subplot about a missing cat that suggests that Fred may be considerably dottier than he appears, the movie gets almost everything right about the uncomfortable moment when grown children are forced to be their parents' parents.
70
Arizona RepublicBill Goodykoontz
Arizona RepublicBill Goodykoontz
The bigger issue is that the film is more a slice of life than a real journey. It's an intriguing slice, but the real depth is in the performances, not the story. [18 Oct 2012]
Irregularly spiked with some droll sitcom-style humor, this thoughtful but exceedingly modest miniature will be best nursed within the festival circuit.
It also points to one of the movie's most nagging problems: Stuck somewhere between personal memoir and universal truth, Fred Won't Move Out ends up being neither.
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
The film is not a compelling drama so much as a poignant observation of a sad situation.