Sight and Sound
"...Magnificently photographed..." 03/01/1992 p.50New York Times
"...[THE MAN IN THE MOON] has a rosy glow....Simple, colorful and neatly constructed....[Witherspoon] has no trouble carrying a lot of the film single-handedly..." 10/04/1991 p.C13 Los Angeles Times
"...[A] deeply moving film....The story unwinds with the inevitability, rigor, clarity and mysterious suggestiveness of a confession..." 10/03/1991 p.F1 Chicago Sun-Times 10 of 10
When this movie was over, I sat quietly for a moment so that I could feel the arc of its story being completed in my mind. They had done it: They had found a way all the way from the beginning to the end of this material, which is so fraught with peril, and never stepped wrong, not even at the end, when everything could have come tumbling down. "The Man in the Moon" is a wonderful movie, but it is more than that, it is a victory of tone and mood. It is like a poem..."The Man in the Moon" is like a great short story, one of those masterpieces of language and mood where not one word is wrong, or unnecessary. It flows so smoothly from start to finish that it hardly even seems like an ordinary film. Usually I am aware of the screenwriter putting in obligatory scenes. I can hear the machinery grinding. Not this time. Although, in retrospect, I can see how carefully the plot was put together, how meticulously each event was prepared for, as I watched the film I was only aware of life passing by...Robert Mulligan is a director whose titles range from "Inside Daisy Clover" to "Blood Brothers" to "The Other." He made "Summer of '42," also the story of the intensity of young love, and his "Same Time, Next Year" and "Clara's Heart" were also, in a way, about how time and age affect romance. Although his work is uneven, he has always been a serious and sincere artist - both in the early days of the partnership with Alan J. Pakula that produced "Mockingbird," and since...Nothing else he has done, however, approaches the purity and perfection of "The Man in the Moon." As the film approached its conclusion without having stepped wrong once, I wondered whether he could do it - whether he could maintain the poetic, bittersweet tone, and avoid the sentimentalism and cheap emotion that could have destroyed this story. Would he maintain the integrity of this material? He would, and he does. - Roger Ebert
eFilmCritic.com 10 of 10
Released in 1991, The Man in the Moon is a fine example of the type of small budget, beautifully made films that would be all too rare throughout the decade. It is simple, passionate, well directed, acted and written, is one of the all time greatest examples of cinematography, and is the first to showcase one of the finest and most under appreciated actors of her generation. Despite all this, it got absolutely no recognition from organizations such as the Academy Awards and remains little known. It is, however, one of the most watchable films I have ever seen and among a handful of my all-time favorites...It is probably the greatest strength of The Man in the Moon that it is easily taken as much less than it is. The story and acting are so subtle they don't demand the attention of the viewer like many modern films do...The entire film is photographed with astounding beauty by Cinematographer Freddie Francis (Glory, The Elephant Man) who integrates a golden warmth of youth with blossoming and tangled branches of the trees, to match the main theme of the story. In particular, the last 15 minutes, during which there is almost no dialog, embodies the simple beauty and emotional power of this exceptional film, while showcasing the quiet talent of its star...Despite outstanding performances from Sam Waterston as Matt, Tess Harper as Abigail, Emily Warfield as Maureen, Jason London as Court and Gail Strickland as his mother Marie, the stand-out performance comes from Reese Witherspoon, only 14 years old at the time, as Dani, starring in her first film role. In the 14 or so years since, Witherspoon has become one of the most sought after actresses in the American movie business, which unfortunately, does not always lead to the most interesting roles. Her often subtle, but powerful performance here, as well as in many of the other lesser known films she has done shows Witherspoon as an exceptionally talented actor. - John Rice
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