For Ellen | Rotten Tomatoes

For Ellen

Released Sep 5, 2012

1 hr. 33 min.

Drama

List

67%

36 Reviews

Tomatometer

39%

1,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

A struggling musician (Paul Dano) tries to pull himself together and fight for shared custody of his young daughter (Shaylena Mandigo).

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isla s

Paul Dano is good as the unsure, somewhat out of his confort zone dad. I was also very impressed with the girl who played Ellen, Shaylena Mandigo. It's a sad and thoughtful film about someone lacking self assurance, looking to create a new identity.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Best movie I have ever seen. Cold, down to earth relatable story of a broken family and a lost man. Perfect camera work completely engrosses the viewer in the story.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

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Audience Member

another movie about divorce American style very slow but Dano carries it along.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Touching yet sad story of a dad trying to do right by his daughter. The film draws alot from Just pure emotion. You have to pay attention as there is not much dialogue.

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

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Audience Member

This is a weak movie

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

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Audience Member

A sparse character piece that never really lets us in to the characters. It just studies a few moments in Joby's life with a very detached hands-off approach and keeps us guessing through the end credits if we'll find out what makes him tick. We never do.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

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So-yong Kim

Director

Paul Dano

Joby

Jon Heder

Fred

Jena Malone

Susan

Margarita Levieva

Claire

Shaylena Mandigo

Ellen

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Show More Cast & Crew

80%

42%

Time Out of Mind

70%

41%

Dark Horse

95%

69%

Bad Hair

50%

75%

Where Hope Grows

56%

52%

Janie Jones

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Critics Consensus: The Words Doesn’t Know What To Say

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Tara Brady

Irish Times

It's almost as though we're working toward an inverted, non-humorous riposte to John Goodman's line in The Big Lebowski: Say what you like about nihilism, at least it's an ethos.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 15, 2013

Full Review

Andrew Pulver

Guardian

Paul Dano makes So Yong Kim's story of a deadbeat rocker with marriage problems his own.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 14, 2013

Full Review

Trevor Johnston

Time Out

It's uncomfortably funny, achingly true - and the work of an absolutely genuine artist.

Rated: 4/5

Feb 14, 2013

Full Review

Ben Nicholson

CineVue

A poignant and honest look at a difficult situation, anchored by a stand-out performance from Dano.

Rated: 3/5

Feb 9, 2019

Full Review

Jason Best

Movie Talk

This low-key but shrewdly observed US indie movie from Korean-American writer-director So Yong Kim pointedly opens with a man at a crossroads, unsure of which direction to take. Decision made, he soon afterwards skids into a snowdrift.

Feb 23, 2013

Full Review

Philip French

Observer (UK)

Mumblecore stuff with touching, truthful moments ...

Feb 17, 2013

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Synopsis

A struggling musician (Paul Dano) tries to pull himself together and fight for shared custody of his young daughter (Shaylena Mandigo).

Director: So-yong Kim
Executive Producer: Paul Dano, Jonathan Vinnik, Michael Clofine, Tricia Quick, Rui Costa Reis
Screenwriter: So-yong Kim
Distributor: Tribeca Film
Production Co: Deerjen Films
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 5, 2012, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 19, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $7.3K

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