The Great New Wonderful2006
The Great New Wonderful (2006)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: Set in post-9/11 New York, this largely evocative dramedy interweaves the stories of five disconnected individuals who share an unspoken emotional malaise that shadows their attempts at returning to normal life.
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Movie Info
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Cast
as Emme
as David
as Allison
as Avi
as Dr. Trabulous
as Judie
as Safarah
as Danny
as Clayton
as Debbie
as Lanie
as Himself
as Charlie
as Mr. Jeffers
as Sandie
as Satish
as Jerry
as Mr. Peersall
as Young Rabbi
as Charlie
as Justin
as Alexa
as Henry
as Phyllis
as General Ganjee
as Congressman Blenick
as Lisa Krindel
as Duff Krindel
as Elvis Cedeno
as Anita
as Lou
as Julie Driscoll
as Angie
as Jesslyn
as Agnes Whitehead
as Wexler Whitehead
as Rhonda
as Sucheta
as Isabelle
Critic Reviews for The Great New Wonderful
All Critics (41) | Top Critics (17) | Fresh (30) | Rotten (11) | DVD (3)
Not all the little stories and vignettes work (some seem almost pointless), but most of the performances, especially a haughty luncheon under a veil of politeness with Gyllenhaal and Falco, are spot on, involving and revealing.
It may be the 9/11 movie to which the most people can relate. For most of us, that date wasn't about personal heroics or losing loved ones or survival. It was about processing the impossible and realizing that life, with all its ups and downs, must go on.
Luminous, affecting, and at times humorous take on 9/11's aftermath.
While the film rarely imparts a true sense of messy everyday feelings and the strife of real life, the fine actors take your mind off the shortcomings.
Set on the one-year anniversary of the twin towers' collapse, the drama interweaves five stories about New Yorkers. It's a testament to the city's resolve to resume life as normal.
This is a film that never really says what's it's about, and may in fact not be about much of anything other than the zeitgeist of the era. Which, if you think about it, is plenty.
Audience Reviews for The Great New Wonderful
Capitalizing on tragedy - blatantly and superficially. The script is too unspecific. It expects the audience to fill in the blanks of these characters' lives with our own interesting anecdotes and vocabulary. There's nothing insightful or different about these people. They're soooo regular. Just regular people dealing with 9/11. A slice of life that is too half-baked. I was hoping to like another Danny Leiner movie, but I guess the only similarity between this and H&K is the Indian demographic. In all seriousness though, I found Satish's and Avi's characters the most intriguing for their seamless melding of Hindi and English.
Super Reviewer
Much less crappy than I thought it would be. A handful of good character studies done by good actors made it decent. Especially Tony Shaloub and his A-hole character that he always seems to play when he isn't Monk. Plus Judy Greer is nice to look at.
Super Reviewer
[font=Century Gothic]Set in September 2002 in New York City, "The Great New Wonderful" consists of five separate storylines:[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]Satish(Sharat Saxena) and Avi(Naseeruddin Shah) are two bodyguards who go about their jobs.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]Judy Hillerman(Olympia Dukakis) is hardly speaking to her husband, when she runs into an old school friend.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]A boy, Charlie Burbage(Billy Donner), has been acting out again.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]Sandie(JIm Gaffigan) is visited at work by a psychologist, Dr. Trabulous(Tony Shalhoub).[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]Emme(Maggie Gyllenhaal) is a high-end pastry chef.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"The Great New Wonderful" is a too earnest take on a disparate group of New Yorkers. There is not a lot of story here. Instead, the movie tries to rely alone on mood to convey the state of New York City one year after the 9/11 attacks, but does not come close to succeeding even with a fine cast and some good thoughts about how life is precious.[/font]
Super Reviewer
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