43
Metascore
15 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe result is a feeling of quiet heroism--people doing things because it's right to do them, even if it's not easy.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThe Hollywood ReporterMichael RechtshaffenThe drama gets stuck in a dispiritingly dull rut and fails to build toward what is supposed to be a something of a crowd-rousing triumph over adversity.
- 50The A.V. ClubScott TobiasThe A.V. ClubScott TobiasMadison couldn't be more wholesome if they served it with a tall glass of fresh milk.
- 50VarietyJustin ChangVarietyJustin ChangInspirational but uninspired sports movie.
- 50L.A. WeeklyKim MorganL.A. WeeklyKim MorganIf not for the race sequences and the intriguing presence of Caviezel, who made this film before "The Passion of the Christ" and who one hopes will take on even more roles befitting his peculiar sad-eyed charisma, the film would amount to a well-intentioned snooze.
- 50The New York TimesAnita GatesThe New York TimesAnita GatesWants to be both heartwarming and quirky but is sometimes just cutesy instead.
- 42Entertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumEntertainment WeeklyLisa SchwarzbaumDirector and co-writer William Bindley engages every move in the underdog playbook, including, but not limited to, the time the good citizens of Bedford Falls chipped in to make up George Bailey's shortfall in "It's a Wonderful Life."
- 40Village VoiceBenjamin StrongVillage VoiceBenjamin StrongMadison peddles condescending hokum as heartland values.
- 40Los Angeles TimesKevin CrustLos Angeles TimesKevin CrustBenefits from Caviezel's ability to project earnestness better than nearly any actor currently working, but its near-comic predictability, "What else could go wrong?" plotting and cliché-ridden screenplay sink it.