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Margaret

Margaret

2011
Drama
2h 30m
A young woman witnesses a bus accident, and is caught up in the aftermath, where the question of whether or not it was intentional affects many people's lives. (imdb)
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Margaret

2011
Drama
2h 30m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 64.17% from 727 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(727)
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Rated 03 Jul 2012
90
95th
Honestly, I was expecting this to be overrated just because people were angry at those jerks at Fox Searchlight. It still looks like a mess, yet this is one of the most intriguing and thought provoking pieces I had seen for a while. UPDATE: Just saw the extended cut and loved it. I'm afraid if I watch this again, or a longer version it would be one my favorite films
Rated 02 Dec 2012
92
98th
Despite some missteps and timeline implausibility (court cases seem to develop and resolve themselves in far speedier fashion than vacation planning), this exploration of disaffected adolescents who find themselves entering today's disconnected urban milieu is one of the most interesting and genuine cinematic attempts to diagnose contemporary society to be found in recent years. Extended version. Re-watching in 2023, this girl's struggle to adopt her and our shame remains greatly affecting.
Rated 27 May 2015
92
92nd
As imperfect as any film attempting so much is bound to be (i can see why it was such a bitch to edit, even at three hours there are parts that feel choppy, along with bits i would have personally excised), but pretty staggering for trying just the same. It says a lot that at the end of such a long film, i kind of just wanted to watch it again. If Charlie Kaufman is the closest thing we have to a cinematic David Foster Wallace, Lonergan just might be our Jonathan Franzen...
Rated 22 Dec 2011
83
91st
I loved this. Paquin gives a brave performance of an unlikeable teen that captures the messiness and unwise passions of youth. The acting is uniformly excellent, really understated and naturalistic performances, with volumes spoken by an expression. I hope we someday get to see the long version.
Rated 01 Jul 2012
95
91st
A masterpiece that wasn't given a fair chance by its distributor. Laboured in post-production hell for six years due to a battle between director Kenneth Lonergan and Fox Searchlight. It's a shame, because the film is one of the best of the past decade. It's an emotionally devastating look at a disaster in post-9/11 NYC. Career best work from Anna Paquin and superb support from big names (Matt Damon, Mark Ruffalo) and unknowns (J. Smith-Cameron and Jeannie Berlin.
Rated 06 Jul 2012
80
90th
My early reaction to the theatrical release: It gets a bit (only a bit) messy at times, but in the end this is quite a profound (and extremely ambitious) movie about death, life, growing-up and post 9/11 NYC. Lonergan takes a risky path, forcing us to enter into a troubled teenager's head. And it kinda has this late '70s vibe, even reminding Woody Allen's works from that period at times. I'd really like to see the Lonergan cut now, please.
Rated 15 Jul 2012
87
93rd
Pretty challenge work. Excellent directing, easy flow acting and brilliant storytelling. The best work by Anna Paquin though I do not really follow her care. Except True Blood. And I was stunned by the reality kind of acting. All were acting top notch, but I specially liked the perfect combination of mum and teenager. The mum was J. Smith-Cameron (who happened to act in True Blood as well).
Rated 28 Aug 2012
92
89th
This movie is one of the best ensemble pieces I have seen in a while. It is emotionally riveting, and really reflects the confusion and moral conflict one would experience in Lisa's (Paquin) position. The editing is messy and I feel the movie could be cleaned up a little and shortened into a more cohesive whole, but damn what a script and what a cast. Superb acting and writing really bring this piece to life. I would have a hard time cutting it down too, it was that compelling.
Rated 12 Apr 2013
78
74th
It's not really focused and might seem a bit drawn-out at times, but this drama about a teenager (a very impressive and believable Paquin) dealing with a tragedy and the moral dilemmas coming from that was so well-made that it's hard not to be swept along. Features the most naturalistic mother-daughter relationship I've seen in ages. Actually, all the relationships between the characters are interesting, fragile and believable.
Rated 07 Nov 2014
8
98th
(extended version obvs, although ive seen both) remember when everyone was like 25TH HOUR is the definitive post-9/11 movie? and remember when yall were like PULSE is the 21st century's most haunting dance of disconnection? nope. aaaaaaand nope.
Rated 04 Jun 2016
97
99th
Lonergan can tell a story about actual people like no one else in movies today. He provides an intelligent road map to wayward human emotions and makes them startlingly, beautifully real. People--like Martin Scorsese--that called this a masterpiece were right. Lonergan's talent is on the order of Orson Welles (though of a different stripe altogether). I just hope he isn't cast out of the (abominable) "system" the way Welles was. (All those lawsuits over this film don't augur well for that,)
Rated 25 Dec 2016
85
94th
An affecting character portrait with excellent acting from Paquin, Smith-Cameron and Ruffalo. I watched the Extended Cut which runs three hours and isn't a minute too long.
Rated 20 May 2017
10
98th
(extended cut) I have grown up in a small town at the edge of the world and lived a solitary life. To see the inherent strangeness that city life has always held for me captured on film like this was edifying and cathartic beyond belief. I might have cried continuously for the full 186 minutes, had I not been completely drained after 30.
Rated 26 Nov 2019
93
97th
(Extended Cut) A world-class depiction of teenage narcissism and post-9/11 tragedy, and perhaps the best piece of media I’ve ever consumed about the way no one person’s story is, or could ever be, the centre of the universe. Took me a long portion of the running time to pin down, but once I did, I had no doubt that it was a masterpiece.
Rated 11 Jul 2012
10
92nd
Wow. This was an exhausting ride, but the characters and their subsequent emotions and complete different personalities were brilliant. At any point, any character could choose to be deceptive, brutally honest, dramatic, or emotional - and we never know what we are going to get next. It's long, and the best cut is even longer, but it's a worthwhile experience!
Rated 27 Aug 2012
89
86th
Very interesting and affecting.
Rated 13 Sep 2012
68
50th
I'm not entirely sure what to think. It was as if all the actors were purposely giving poor acting performances to make their characters seem worse and more fake. So, it's either really poor acting or really good acting to make it bad. Either way, an interesting movie that was successful in pissing me off.
Rated 17 Sep 2012
73
47th
I'm still not sure if I hated or loved this film, but at the very least it kept me pretty engrossed throughout. I didn't really buy Anna Paquin as a high-school student, but she did a good job regardless of looking too old.
Rated 22 Sep 2012
91
91st
An impressive piece of work from Lonergan, Paquin, and company. The film traces the difficulty of dealing with trauma, the communication difficulties that mar our relationships, and the hard lessons and growth that occur as we grow up and mature. Lonergan's visual style has matured, the outdoor shooting giving a sense of place, while closed spaces inside show us the narrowness of Lisa's world. Add to that a deeply moving conclusion, and this film is one I look forward to revisiting often.
Rated 15 Oct 2012
100
99th
WATCH MARGARET
Rated 28 Oct 2012
60
50th
Very emotional strong, and as such a strong performance by Paquin, but the many melodramatic scenes turn more and more into her just yelling and screaming. Good performance by the supporting roles, which in hindsight probably should have been given more screentime.
Rated 07 Apr 2013
4
51st
Paquin is excellent, but the film itself is marred by a meandering, overextended plot. It's a shame that Margaret is a complete mess, as there's probably a pretty fascinating movie buried underneath. The opening bus crash illustrates what could have been if only the film wasn't tortured in post-production hell.
Rated 24 Jun 2013
85
80th
An intelligent, and troubled, teen girl deals with witnessing, perhaps causing in her mind, the death of a stranger. The movie really delves deep into the psyche and the philosophies of said teen girl, and there is a lot of discovery about how it feels to be a youth in today's society. Some of the parts aren't for everyone (e.g. extended classroom debates), but these moments are the ones that capture the heart of our youth the best. Really good film.
Rated 11 Dec 2013
4
55th
I can't help but think better and better of this as time goes on. Unfortunately, I hated nearly every character which can limit my view of it all.
Rated 30 Dec 2013
75
72nd
Compelling and challenging meditation on teenage self-centeredness, guilt and post 9/11 America. Although not always focused, this one benefits from a strong cast portraying strong characters and sharp, subversive writing which hints at several issues without ever mouth-feeding the audience.
Rated 12 Jan 2014
30
18th
A young woman accidentally contributes to the death of a woman crossing the street. Her haunting guilt leads her on a quest for accountability, including from herself. Very dramatic and tragic. There are many good scenes, and the ending is highly emotional. The dialog throughout feels real. Worth watching, but the message is rather obvious. However, there is nothing particularly memorable about this movie.
Rated 21 Feb 2015
85
89th
The three hour cut is engrossing, compelling and atmospheric, with actors playing to perfection a very ambitious screenplay seeking for truth in the shape of moral struggles and human interaction.
Rated 15 Mar 2015
83
85th
Kendini gerçekleştiremeyen Amerika'lı bir üst-orta sınıf ergenin adaleti sağlama girişimlerinin nasıl ayaklarına dolanacağını bir romanı andıran senaryosuyla ve teknik incelikleriyle ne de güzel anlatıyor öyle.
Rated 20 Apr 2015
75
45th
I think all the things the movie wanted to talk to me about - the anger that blurs into revenge, the individuality of grief, the inability to communicate, the pseudo-wisdom of youth, New York as this big fake drama-pot -, all that turned against the movie itself while watching it for me. Therefore I'm not sure if I just didn't like the movie or if refused it heavily, especially its main character, which basically means the movie did an awesome job to get to me. But I will never watch it again.
Rated 28 Jan 2016
85
75th
Not as precise in its recklessness as You Can Count on Me - and recklessness and spontaneity is what Lonergan is seeking, I think. He's searching for the qualities that make up the reality of our relationships - the qualities that elude cinema. In this way, he's like Cassavetes, though perhaps in a more writerly fashion. The student-teacher scene is the only thing that felt really out of place. Besides that, its meandering nature was rather lovely.
Rated 29 Apr 2016
88
90th
If you read the movie as an extended gloss on the poem "Spring and Fall" by Gerard Manley Hopkins, which is read a little more than halfway through in Lisa's English class, it's a fucking amazing movie. Without the interplay between the poem and the movie, the movie is only so-so, but if you spend a long time with the poem, the various ways the movie hits on those themes are amazing.
Rated 11 Sep 2016
70
71st
Thoughtful examination of guilt, alienation and miscommunication from the perspective of a teenage girl played superbly by Paquin. It's rare in American films to treat teenagers as people experiencing difficulty navigating their way through the messy complexity of life with little help from the adults around them; the adults are just as lost as the kids. Lonergan doesn't reduce conflicts to simplistic binaries, but Margaret is too long and shows tell tale signs of post-production tinkering.
Rated 27 Nov 2016
9
71st
Having not seen the extended cut, I find it hard to believe Lonergan could better this edition. This is almost a story about nothing, about how tragedy happens and the world continues around it. In one moment, Lisa hunts for truth. In another, she argues with her mother. Nico Muhly's incredible soundtrack underscores the basic human question: is there a difference between any moment in one's life, or in all our lives? Lonergan's film is like an opera about how life just goes on and on and on and
Rated 16 Apr 2018
75
59th
Takes about 25-30 minutes to stop feeling like a Lifetime Original, and slowly consumes you with its overbearing realism and depth of emotion. Exhausting.
Rated 23 Dec 2019
7
99th
I'm not entirely sure this isn't the greatest movie ever made.
Rated 27 Jan 2021
85
74th
I damn near had a panic attack during the office scene with the lawyer and their group call. Adolescence can feel so dramatic and yet we sometimes dismiss how our curiosity shapes who we are. Slowly weighs you down with life's purpose and it's deeper understanding.
Rated 19 Nov 2023
93
84th
The near impossibility of being Antigone today, because our society has lost not just all categories of justice and care itself, but even more importantly, all room for caring about chaotic and heated teenage rebellion within and beyond this atomised wasteland of enchantment and the young default of knowledge and love outward and inward. Collectively stuck in her absence in ourselves and forever childish, it is Margaret we mourn for, and it is Margaret that we find ourselves unable to mourn for.
Rated 21 Oct 2011
30
78th
"The film's imperfections work in the sense that they rhyme with the agitation and sense of dislocation the characters feel." - Kalvin Henely
Rated 25 Jun 2012
71
46th
71.000
Rated 07 Jul 2012
71
39th
Ungainly mess of a film must be seen in the context of a troubled production history, but it is unclear whether its flaws are a result of enforced editing choices or were inherent in the original screenplay. Characterisations often have a schizophrenic quality, especially Paquin's, major characters are picked up and dropped, and it struggles to properly come into focus and decide what its point will be. However, performances are terrific, and the opening bus crash is a masterclass in direction.
Rated 18 Jul 2012
68
35th
starts with one of the best traffic accidents in movie history but slowly starts to fall on so many levels: incoherent script in which people continuously quarrel for no reason, sloppy editing with several continuity issues, undeveloped side characters that I have no idea why they're in and last but not least the school play level acting qualities of Anna Paquin... (note: I watched the theatrical version which is unbearably long enough)
Rated 10 Aug 2012
12
4th
MARGARET, I am grieving/Over wild hype deceiving/Blame lies with that Lisa dame/For sullying your good name
Rated 20 Aug 2012
30
9th
Piss poor editing and hammy acting abound (except for Ruffalo, who's good in everything) Every time I see Anna Paquin "act", I don't see a character in a film, instead I see Anna trying to "act" on the screen. She just isn't very good or believable in anything she does. Never have I hated so many characters in one film. I was rooting for the bus the whole time!
Rated 06 Sep 2012
82
58th
Probably the truest portrayal of a teen in crisis.
Rated 16 Nov 2012
75
66th
Some think this troubled film is a difficult masterpiece. Others think it's poorly executed crap. I'm kind of in the middle. This unwieldy drama is a mess but it is also oddly compelling in its impassioned and emphatic exploration of the complicated nature of morality.
Rated 06 Jan 2013
4
69th
Jean-Paul Sartre: "Hell is other people." Kenneth Lonergan: "What he said."
Rated 01 Apr 2013
76
27th
It's kind of a mess but I think it works for the subject matter. I mean life itsself is a complex mess so why simplify the characters feelings. I also think anna paquin did a wonderful job.
Rated 03 Jun 2013
60
47th
The selling point for this film was to see a naked Anna Paquin. But that is because it was made before Tru Blood and took years to come out. So then? No one cared.
Rated 30 Jun 2013
55
25th
If you're looking for film's most infuriating character? Look no further. Margaret delivers and then some.
Rated 01 Aug 2013
22
3rd
Outside of a sickeningly realistic early scene and a handful of strong performances, this movie's a total mess that definitely did not survive post-production hell unscathed. The theatrical cut had 36 minutes chopped out of it and is still 60 minutes too long. The editing is atrocious, with scenes from various plots and subplots colliding with each other. Crucially, in a story about the grieving process, I sympathized with almost no one. It's all kind of a senseless tragedy - how apropos.
Rated 21 Aug 2013
90
88th
21 Agustos 2013, Cesme & Borromeen dugumu gibi incelikle, kat kat orulmus senaryosu ve akisi ile bunyemde beklenmedik bir etki yaratti. Kendime not; uzun versiyonunu bulabildigin gun, otur ve izle.
Rated 30 Aug 2013
70
74th
Margaret is a great movie hidden behind excessive length and poor editing. Paquin is phenomenal and as the movie progresses the scenes become more immense and chaotic. Borderline brilliant, but a victim of its visionary's own self-indulgence.
Rated 10 Apr 2014
89
67th
the trailer only begins to give a glimpse of what lies in store. positives: well acted, no cookie cutter characters, makes you think... negatives: one major editing hiccup.... overall impression: surprisingly good and highly recommended......
Rated 08 Jul 2014
80
75th
A finely crafted melodrama with Anna Paquin absolutely knocking it out of the park.
Rated 21 Aug 2014
82
65th
If not for the fact that I consider You Can Count on Me to be a screenwriting masterpiece, I wouldn't have made it even halfway through the 3 hour extended version. Although Lonergan's still a master at crafting riveting character-driven scenes & Paquin's protagonist is easily the most realistically drawn teen I've ever seen in a film, he consistently engages in such arthouse obtuseness & dull pretentiousness this could only be loved by those who enjoy the Emperor's new clothes.
Rated 04 Jan 2015
7
73rd
In the extended version the camera tracks and gazes long after and before any action but this allows time to reflect on the characters (quite complicated) motives and thoughts. A compelling and interesting study of the far reaching consequences of post traumatic stress and guilt.
Rated 18 Feb 2016
18
96th
Star Rating: ★★★★★
Rated 16 Nov 2016
70
75th
Elaborate, digressive, often times brilliantly insightful, but falters whenever the tone shifts toward a sort of snide black comedy. I didn't entirely know what to make of these tonal fluctuations (which bothered me more than the digressions), and I'm sure this would have fared better without them, but all things considered it's a really good movie.
Rated 23 Dec 2016
90
91st
The apex on survivor's guilt in post-9/11 white NYC. I honestly can't stop thinking about this film since I saw it over a year ago. Try seeking out the longer version if you can.
Rated 13 Jan 2017
90
80th
Viewed January 12, 2017.
Rated 05 Feb 2017
88
92nd
Exhausting is a good word to describe Lonergan's work. Paquin and Smith-Cameron create one of the most believable and heart-wrenching depictions of a mother-daughter relationship I've seen. Margaret isn't exactly a pleasant viewing experience, but it sure is impressive.
Rated 12 Mar 2017
75
88th
This was a journey. A spectacular and stellar film filled to the brim with inspired, genuine and enticing performances, writing, atmosphere. A truly remarkable achievement in story telling, where apparent production/post-production problems fail to take away from the heart and emotion that has gone into making the film. Great direction in what is career-high performances from main and supporting actors alike. Version seen: Extended Edition (3 hours).
Rated 13 Mar 2017
74
80th
Paquin is just amazing here. Lonergan for sure knows how to bring out the best in his lead.
Rated 27 Mar 2017
80
76th
The studio cut (150 minutes).
Rated 29 Apr 2018
85
86th
je pense que ce film est une description assez juste de la véritable grenade dégoupillée que les grands ados peuvent devenir lors de la première confrontation de leurs idéaux à la réalité. j'en retrouve certains aspects dans ma propre vie, avec mes filles. mais heureusement nous n'habitons pas new york... le jeu de l'actrice principale sonnait régulièrement faux cependant, principal bémol pour moi
Rated 31 May 2018
70
34th
69.50
Rated 18 Jul 2018
81
80th
High quality moral drama with a great script and an ultra-passionate, mesmerising central performance from Anna Paquin. Her character is written truly multi-dimensionally and is subject to changes of mood, emotion and opinion. Her interactions with her mother, psychiatrist, lawyer and the bad guy are often fiery and riveting. It's much more than just an angry young person film because of the ethics which we can all apply to our own lives. Long but worth sticking with, an epic performance.
Rated 01 Oct 2018
67
34th
66.67.
Rated 26 Feb 2019
93
96th
A really remarkable drama, with truly engaged and serious acting from all. A must-see for aspiring screenwriters, as the craft in the life-like dialogue is stupendous and makes some moments feel hauntingly real, and a must-see for angsty young folks, as this digs deep into the failures of social justice and how this one woman attempts to correct a wrong (but not before a number of existential tangents to test if she can rid herself of this tragedy). An easy and special way to spend three hours.
Rated 13 Oct 2019
64
28th
Söylemek istediği bir şeyi olan ama nasıl anlatacağı konusunda kafası çok karışık bir film. Filme hizmet etmeyen ve gereksiz yere uzatılmış bir sürü sahne var. Ünlüler geçidi olması da performansların iyiliği dışında filme yarardan çok zarar veriyor diye düşünüyorum.
Rated 29 Apr 2020
65
21st
lonergan has got a lot of things to say but he really struggles to capture those thoughts in this film. it is unnecessarily long, exhausting and overwhelming.
Rated 07 Jan 2021
75
69th
lonergan cut / I didn't know you could make an opera in a contemporary setting - I know, I know.
Rated 22 Jun 2021
66
34th
MARGARET tells its story - a smart, sheltered, massively irritating teenager struggling toward adulthood and starting to discover a modicum of empathy - so exceptionally well that I find it difficult to summon anything beyond begrudging respect. I have rarely wanted a great movie to be over sooner.
Rated 07 Aug 2021
41
35th
Hated it at first; went to IMDB to check whether Tommy Wiseau was the writer. Then started to tolerate it. About 80% of the way through, I found it interesting. Complex themes about trying to figure out the relationship between the self and personal ethics, and a seemingly amoral world. Looks like I watched the "short" (2.5 hour) cut.
Rated 11 Jan 2022
4
42nd
Score is for the 3 hour 6 minute 11 second version.
Rated 14 Dec 2023
81
77th
A lot of people seem to not like this much, but I thought it was a quite beautiful, true feeling movie that reminded me a lot of a Mike Nichols or something. Paquin (who was nearly 30 here) is pretty brilliant at convincingly portraying a teenager, and the relationship between her and her mother feels especially authentic. The biggest flaw is too many ideas, as if it was a bit more focused it could have been a masterpiece. The teacher stuff, the Israel-Palestine diversions, etc, all distract.
Rated 19 Feb 2024
50
26th
Long, intensive, exhaustive viewing. There are some very nice things nestled within, and some bad things. For me, the barrage of forceful naturalism was overwhelming, something like going to the opera with a splitting headache, perhaps.

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