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The Yellow Handkerchief Review

Release Date: Feb 26, 2010
Rated: for sexual content, some violence, language and thematic elements
Runtime: 1 hr. 42 min.
Genres: Drama, Romance
Director:Udayan Prasad
Cast:William Hurt, Maria Bello, Kristen Stewart, Eddie Redmayne, Kaori Momoi. Full cast + crew

Movies.com Critics

3.0

Dave White Profile <h3>Dave White</h3> <p><strong>Your Movies.com Man at the Multiplex</strong></p> <br /> <p>Dave White's first movie review was of the animated feature Snoopy Come Home. He was seven years old...<a href="http://www.movies.com/movie-reviews/dave-white">Read full profile</a></p>

Harmless hitchhiking. It can TOO happen. Read full review

3.5

Jen Yamato Profile <h3>Jen Yamato</h3> <p><strong>A movie fiend on a mission</strong></p> <br /> <p>Jen Yamato is a walking, popcorn-eating contradiction: she loves all kinds of cinema, from art films to schlocky B-movies...<a href="http://www.movies.com/movie-reviews/jen-yamato">Read full profile</a></p>

William hurts, Kristen stews, Maria bellows. Read full review

Other Critics provided by Metacritic.com

Critics scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

4.0

62

out of 100

Metascore^®
Generally favorable reviews
based on a weighted average of all
critic review scores.
60

out of 100

The New York Times Stephen Holden
If Mr. Hurt gives a meticulously detailed performance, he is still so innately refined that Brett never quite registers as an authentic blue-collar type, either vocally or in his body language. Ultimately, men like Brett are just not in Mr. Hurt's DNA, and you are left with the impression of observing a silk purse artfully (but only partially) disguised as a sow's ear.

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67

out of 100

Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
Here the fascination is Hurt, so deft at steering his character away from booby-trap clichs that he guides his young costars safely out of sap's way and brightens an otherwise very yellowed tale.

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70

out of 100

Variety
A thoughtful, niche-oriented portrait of four off-the-beaten-path characters trying to find their way.

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70

out of 100

The Hollywood Reporter Kirk Honeycutt
Four terrific performances make the transition to a U.S. setting go smoothly for British director Udayan Prasad.

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75

out of 100

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
The formula is obvious, but the story, curiously, turns out to be based on fact.

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80

out of 100

Los Angeles Times Kevin Thomas
Cohn has assembled a quartet of gifted actors who are captivating under Prasad's perceptive direction.

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See all The Yellow Handkerchief reviews at Metacritic.com

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For Families provided by Common Sense Media

Iffy for 14+

Subtly powerful road trip film OK for most teens.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this road-trip drama might appeal to more teens than expected because of co-star Kristen Stewart (of Twilight fame). There’s no Bella here, and the material, which includes marital isolation and incarceration, is mature, and includes a teen girl propositioning an adult man as well as a fight that turns fatal. Still, it’s a thoughtful, pretty film, and there’s plenty here to hold their interest. Expect some swearing -- like "s--t" and "bitch" -- and some drinking.

Families can talk about what binds these three characters together. Are they believable as companions on a journey?
How is this film similar or different to other road trip movies? What makes it surprising (or not)?
Two of the three characters are in their teens, and they both seem lost. Is their depiction realistic? What do they learn from Brett, and vice versa?

The good stuff

Messages: Even the most disparate characters can find common ground, and, clichéd but true: love heals. Also: forgiveness can redeem even the most hardened, or defeated, souls.
Role models: An ex-con, a sexually assertive 15-year-old, and a strange young grifter don’t sound like the best role models on paper, but they all use their hardened facades to mask depths of pain and a longing for love. Nobody is what he or she first seems in this film, and that’s a good thing.

What to watch for

Violence: A man accidentally kills another in a brawl. (The scene is brief and not at all gory.) Some yelling at tense moments, and a fight breaks out among strangers. Awkward romantic moment turns briefly threatening. One character talks briefly about suicide.
Sex: Teens kiss and the encounter gets tense when the boy pushes things a bit too far. A girl propositions a much older man. Some passionate embracing and lengthy discussions about relationships. No nudity.
Language: A smattering of “s--t” and “bitch.”
Consumerism: Not an issue
Drinking, drugs and smoking: Some social drinking; a woman enters a bar, takes a shot and yells at another man who’s also drinking. A character gives another a pack of cigarettes.

Common Sense Media

An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology.