Has all the crowd-pleasing elements moviegoers respond to: appealing hero, absorbing story, a solid group of supporting players and a big fat happy ending.
75
New York PostJonathan Foreman
New York PostJonathan Foreman
But it's more than a crowd-pleaser shot at spectacular Rocky mountain locations -- it's almost revolutionary.
75
Boston Globe
Boston Globe
It's a refreshing alternative to hipper-than-thou moviemaking.
75
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
It's unlikely that the whole cowboy town would really applaud all the queer goings-on, but it's a lovely sentiment in a lovely movie.
70
L.A. WeeklyPaul Malcolm
L.A. WeeklyPaul Malcolm
A rosy, hearthside fantasy of acceptance that's so assured in its writing and direction, it's nearly impossible not to believe.
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
Seattle Post-IntelligencerPaula Nechak
Writer and first-time director Thomas Bezucha certainly knows how to create warmth, ambience and situation.
60
Film.comRobert Horton
Film.comRobert Horton
Little of this is plausible, but it is beguiling.
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
By creating a kind of politically correct version of Andy Griffith's "Mayberry," director Bezucha has drained the movie not only of bigotry but also of dramatic conflict.
Yet as wonderful as it is to see a breezy, earnest romantic comedy that is so matter-of-factly gay-themed, Big Eden suffers somewhat, unsurprisingly, from some of the usual perils of a breezy, earnest romantic comedy.