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Beginners (2010)

7.2
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Ratings: 7.2/10 from 42,168 users   Metascore: 81/100
Reviews: 113 user | 241 critic | 36 from Metacritic.com

A young man is rocked by two announcements from his elderly father: that he has terminal cancer, and that he has a young male lover.

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Title: Beginners (2010)

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Won 1 Oscar. Another 26 wins & 12 nominations. See more awards »

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Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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Andy
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Elliot
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Georgia
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Young Oliver Fields
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Shauna
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Liz
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Party Person
Luke Diliberto ...
Green Witch
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Magician
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The Sads
...
The Sads (as Hana Hwang)
Samuel T. Ritter ...
The Sads
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Storyline

It's 2003. Thirty-eight year old graphic artist Oliver Fields has just lost his father Hal Fields to cancer, after Oliver's mother Georgia Fields passed away five years earlier. Oliver is naturally a sullen man due to his growing up relationship with his parents (his mother who had a unique view on life) and watching his parents' cordial but somewhat distant relationship with each other, but is more so now because of his personal family loss. Oliver embarks on a relationship with Anna, a French actress. Oliver is hoping that his re-energized relationship with Hal following Georgia's death and Hal's new outlook on life during that time will show Oliver how to act in a loving relationship. After Georgia's death, Hal came out of the closet and began to live with a joie de vivre that did not exist before, which included an open relationship with a much younger man named Andy. Oliver's relationship with Anna has other obstacles, including Anna's own vagabond lifestyle and Oliver needing to... Written by Huggo

Plot Summary | Plot Synopsis

Plot Keywords:

death | terrier | flashback | cancer | actress | See more »

Taglines:

This is what love feels like.

Genres:

Comedy | Drama | Romance

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for language and some sexual content | See all certifications »

Parents Guide:

 »
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Details

Official Sites:

| |  »

Country:

Language:

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Release Date:

9 June 2011 (Germany)  »

Also Known As:

Beginners, así se siente el amor  »

Box Office

Budget:

$3,200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$141,340 (USA) (3 June 2011)

Gross:

$5,776,314 (USA) (2 September 2011)
 »

Company Credits

Show detailed on  »

Technical Specs

Runtime:

Sound Mix:

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Color:

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1
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Did You Know?

Trivia

At 82 years of age, Christopher Plummer won an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for this film and became the oldest person to ever win an Oscar for acting. See more »

Goofs

On Hal Fields' death certificate, it says "Date of death: 09/17/04". We know from the movie that he's already passed away in 2003. See more »

Quotes

Oliver: And I can really see Anna's eyes in 2003. Her ears. Her feet. This is what it looks like when she says, 'I love you,' in 2003. This is what it looks like when she cries. When she tells me there's always a new empty room waiting for her. They used to make her feel free. Now they make her feel the opposite of free.
See more »

Connections

References Woman Times Seven (1967) See more »

Soundtracks

"That Da Da Strain"
Written by Edgar Dowell and Mamie Medina
Performed by Mamie Smith
Courtesy of Document Records
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

See more (Spoiler Alert!) »

User Reviews

 
Pleasant sad comedy - with great performers
16 August 2012 | by (Estonia) – See all my reviews

Movies like this tend to become slushy and preachy - but Beginners is a nice exception. Topics like love, sexual minorities, alienation, perfunctoriness etc are depicted nicely and with piety. The director has also done a great job by mixing different eras and generations into one smooth line, that viewers do not feel themselves getting lost or confused.

Actors are also great, but the real star is Christopher Plummer - luckily he got an Academy Award for his superb performance. For a straight man, it must be difficult to depict a gay terminally ill... Being not, in fact, the main character, he often "steals the show".

Recommendable to people with liberal views who are fond of romance beyond gender and age.


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