Director Lisa Albright has less success balancing the tones of two eras: the movie is more successful when replicating matter-of-fact '70s grit than the independent miserabilism of the '90s.
Coming Up Roses swerves into a third-act twist that's both an indie cliché and dramatically unnecessary.
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Time OutEric Hynes
Time OutEric Hynes
Despite committed and heartfelt performances - especially from the perennially charismatic Peters - director Lisa Albright's soapy semi-autobiographical tale fails to scale the low hurdle of believability.
40
Village Voice
Village Voice
After a hoot of an entrance by Bernadette Peters showboating a tune from the rafters at a church wedding, Coming Up Roses takes a nosedive into despair and stays there.
Standout perfs by Bernadette Peters as an aging diva and Rachel Brosnahan as her solicitous 15-year-old daughter are the only reasons to see Lisa Albright's Coming Up Roses, a tired '80s-set meller hobbled by lackluster helming and an unconvincing script.