Rolling Stone
"...McTeer and Brown make magic in a film that is wonderfully funny, touching and vital..." 12/09/1999 p.90Movieline's Hollywood Life
"...[McTeer] is a revelation in her first starring role on-screen. Earthy, womanly and utterly charismatic..." p.40 Premiere
"...[A] richly detailed and rewarding portrait..." -- 3 out of 5 stars 05/01/2000 pp.95-6 Box Office
"...[With] a towering performance by Janet McTeer...An ongoing sense of freshness and discovery, thanks to McTeer's unstoppable Dixie-fried charm....Uniquely enjoyable..." 04/01/1999 p.223-4 USA Today
"...[The actresses] have endearing moments, particularly in the later going, when the film seems to take on a slightly more improvisational tone..." 11/24/1999 p.6D Los Angeles Times
"...TUMBLEWEED is one of those wonderful, deeply personal pictures that pops up every now and then to lift your spirits..." 11/24/1999 p.C9 Chicago Sun-Times
"...Movies like TUMBLEWEEDS exist in the details, not the outcome....We don't mind, since the characters have been intriguing to know and easy to care about..." 12/10/1999 p.35 James Berardinelli's ReelViews 8 of 10
The strength of O'Connor's movie, and the reason it stands above the continuum of the many similar-yet-lesser efforts, is the careful attention paid to character development and relationship building. O'Connor goes to great lengths to ensure that the bond between Mary Jo and Ava is sculpted in such a way that the audience immediately sympathizes with both individuals... A significant share of the credit for Tumbleweeds' success must be given to Janet McTeer and Kimberly Brown. Both give performances that are at a consistently high level, with no evidence of artiface or awkwardness...
The New York Times 8 of 10
Watching the British actress Janet McTeer's astoundingly vital portrayal of a sexy free-spirited Southern gal in Gavin O'Connor's film Tumbleweeds, you have the thrilling awareness of an actor melting so deeply into a role that what is on thescreen is not a performance at all but a kind of spontaneous alchemy... There are many moments when what is on the screen stops looking like acting and becomes life itself, and you're watching real people change and grow before your eyes. - Stephen Holden
Boxoffice Magazine 7 of 10
A towering performance by Janet McTeer as a feisty if foundering southern hellion is the primary reason for seeing Tumbleweeds... A slight but likable movie, Tumbleweeds wouldn't be much without the byplay between McTeer and Brown. As it is, the believable and moving mother/daughter bond they create makes for uniquely enjoyable (if not compelling) viewing. - Ray Greene
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