41
Metascore
12 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 63RogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyRogerEbert.comSheila O'MalleyThe setup (script by Glen Lakin) is full of wacko screwball potential, some of which is mined, some of which misses the boat.
- 50IndieWireDavid EhrlichIndieWireDavid EhrlichEven as the film’s scenes begin stacking into an unstable Jenga tower of contrivances, the turbulent father-son dynamic continues to hold strong.
- 50TheWrapDan CallahanTheWrapDan CallahanThere is a tug-of-war here between [Bailey's] attempt to explore her characters in a very serious way with a consistent emotional basis and the demands of the material as written by Glen Lakin, which is clearly meant to be played as farce most of the time, particularly towards the end.
- Lakin’s screenplay veers so wildly between sitcom antics, pitch black comedy and heartwarming family drama that it leaves you feeling whiplashed. The film never quite merges its divergent tones, leaving Being Frank a frustrating mix of promising elements and appealing performances shackled to an unwieldy central premise that dispenses with joy the way a black hole dispenses with light.
- 38Slant MagazineDerek SmithSlant MagazineDerek SmithThe film sends the curious message that that any time an abusive parent spends with a child is time well spent.
- 30The New York TimesTeo BugbeeThe New York TimesTeo BugbeeIt’s a period movie with little style and a family flick wholly lacking in charm or warmth.
- 30The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeStandup star Jim Gaffigan, who mines domesticity for laughs so successfully onstage, would seem an ideal choice for a man with twice the responsibilities and one big secret to hide. But Bailey and Lakin give him next to nothing to work with, and the result flops where it should crackle.
- 20VarietyJoe LeydonVarietyJoe LeydonBeing Frank isn’t very amusing, which normally would be the most damning thing one might say about an ostensible comedy. But that really isn’t the worst thing about it. There is something ineffably creepy about this contrived and mirthless farce.