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Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Carrie-Anne Moss ... see more see more... , Ioan Gruffudd , Hayden Panettiere , Cayden Boyd , Shannon Lucio , George Newbern , Chase Ellison , Brooklyn Proulx , Diane Perella , Natalie Karp , Rev. John Stennfield , Philip Rose , Babs George , Frank Ertl , Grady McCardell

To an outsider, the Taylors are the very picture of the successful American family: Charles (Willem Dafoe) is a tenured professor on track to become university president, son Michael (Ryan Reynolds) i... read more read more...s a prolific and well-known romance novelist, daughter Ryne (Shannon Lucio) is poised to enter a prestigious law school, and on the day we are introduced to them, matriarch Lisa (Julia Roberts) will graduate from college-decades after leaving to raise her children. But when a serious accident interrupts the celebration, the far more nuanced reality of this Midwestern family's history and relationships come to light. -- (C) Senator

Flixster Users

44% liked it

32,060 ratings

Critics

20% liked it

51 critics

R, 1 hr. 38 min.

Directed by: Dennis Lee

Release Date: October 14, 2011

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DVD Release Date: February 7, 2012

Stats: 1,087 reviews

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Fireflies in the Garden Chase Ellison, Ryan Reynolds & Brooklynn Proulx Chase Ellison, Ryan Reynolds & Brooklynn Proulx Carrie-Anne Moss & Ryan Reynolds Willem Dafoe & Ryan Reynolds Emily Watson & Ryan Reynolds Fireflies in the Garden Fireflies in the Garden Fireflies in the Garden Cayden Boyd & Hayden Panettiere Fireflies in the Garden Hayden Panettiere & Cayden Boyd Cayden Boyd & Hayden Panettiere Fireflies in the Garden Fireflies in the Garden Hayden Panettiere & Cayden Boyd Ryan Reynolds & Chase Ellison Hayden Panettiere & Julia Roberts
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Flixster Reviews (1,087)

  • LWOODS04
    February 20, 2012
    LWOODS04
    Cast: Julia Roberts, Ryan Reynolds, Willem Dafoe, Emily Watson, Carrie-Anne Moss, Hayden Panettiere, Ioan Gruffudd, Shannon Lucio, Cayden Boyd, George Newbern, Chase Ellison

    Director: Dennis Lee

    Summary: In the wake of an unexpected family tragedy, novelist Michael Taylor... read more (Ryan Reynolds) is forced to confront his fractured relationship with his father (Willem Dafoe) while dealing with painful memories of his mother (Julia Roberts), a woman who moved mountains to protect him. Emily Watson, Hayden Panettiere, Ioan Gruffudd and Carrie-Anne Moss also star in this semiautobiographical tale of rage and redemption from writer-director Dennis Lee.

    My Thoughts: "I loved this movie. The cast is amazing right down to the young children acting in it. Great performances by them all. The story goes back and forth from past to present and really does a great job at putting you in this emotional, dark, tragic story. Willem Dafoe was brilliant at playing the father. It has to be his best performance in a movie that I have seen him in. It's a beautifully made film. I am a big fan of Ryan Reynolds, he is a talented actor with the gift for being able to pull off any genre. Julia Roberts is another one of those actor's. She was great in this as was Carry Moss and Emily Watson. See it if you get the chance."
  • romy861
    February 5, 2011
    romy861
    Better than I would expect from something starring Julia Roberts. Not high on my list to watch, but I am glad I did. Similar in tone to "The Squid and the whale", this follows a dysfunctional family and goes back and forth in time, mainly sticking with Michael, (Ryan Reynolds), ... read morewho is now a romance novel author and slightly dour. When his parents are involved in a car crash and his mother, (Julia Roberts) dies and his father, (Willem Dafoe) is injured, he barely seems to show emotion. As the movie goes on and we see what his childhood was actually like at the hands of his father, we start to understand why. There is nothing overly shocking here, more mental abuse than anything, and it did seem like there could have been a little more to this movie, but on the whole it was good and very well cast. Willem Dafoe in particular, I found creepy here, though that could just be his face! I did not recognise Hayden Panettiere as the younger Jane, (his teenage aunt), but she was very good also. Also Emily Watson and Shannon Lucio. I did not really like Carrie Anne Moss as Kelly, but then I never do like her as an actress especially.
  • blacksheepboy
    November 5, 2009
    blacksheepboy
    A dull and obvious family drama that suffers from some serious miscasting and presents lots of issues but never develops them properly.
  • thmtsang
    September 27, 2009
    thmtsang
    Good cast but quite a dark story. Michael (Ryan Reynolds) is an author who returns to his family and hometown to celebrate his mother's college graduation. However, his mother Lisa (Julia Roberts) is killed in a car accident. The family are forced together to prepare for the fune... read moreral. Painful memories of his relationship with his father and his aunt are brought up. Only problem - you feel for the characters but it doesn't explain what all the family secrets are.
  • deano
    September 17, 2009
    deano
    The drama film truly belongs to Ryan Reynolds and Willem Dafoe, both powerful as kin destined never to be close. This is truly touching stuff of the relatives that I loved it. And all the support cast make wonderful performances.
  • briandeguelle
    March 28, 2009
    briandeguelle
    A surprising film for me,Not really knowing too much about it.It took me back and surprise to see a large cast of well known actors in a little charming movie at a dysfunctional family and it terms with a death in the family.And with the pass with father and son.All on top form h... read moreere and worth a look.It is a slow movie but i never really minded that!
  • burgerstar
    February 8, 2012
    burgerstar
    Interesting film. A lot of big names in this. The storyline does drag out for a while. Willem Dafoe does a great job of making you hate his character.
  • fb1025970122
    February 8, 2012
    fb1025970122
    There is something fairly standard about "Fireflies in the Garden" while in brief moments it can hint at something much better. This is a family drama with a top notch cast that is centered around a surprisingly serious turn from Ryan Reynolds. Reynolds employs his usual charm as... read more Michael Taylor, a young man that grew up with a difficult father. That father as played by Willem Dafoe is given more depth than simply being a movie dad who is relentlessly hateful. He has his true moments of cruelty while also understanding the love and pride he should find for his son. It is a hard relationship to document, to understand and writer/director Dennis Lee gives us no cause for the effect of Dafoe's hateful dad. While Michael is otherwise surrounded by strong females who love him dearly such as his mother (Juia Roberts) and her sister Jane (Emily Watson). The story of Michael, a published novelist who has made a living writing romance novels, is a slight bit of a disappointment to his father, a college english professor. He is returning home for his sister's college graduation when tragedy strikes and through a series of flashbacks we see Michaels memories that have inspired the current turmoil that hangs over the family. There are enough good performances here and touching moments for me to recommend this, but you will walk away feeling Lee's aspirations were bigger than his final product can warrant.
  • merillupin
    January 7, 2009
    merillupin
    Nicely shot, good to see Ryan Reynolds in a serious role, though apart from that all the big names are wasted (and they are so big and the movie is so small that it's hard to forget that you're watching Hayden Panettiere). I find that writing movies about writers is generally a b... read moread idea, and though it could have been more punitive for the viewers, it still wasn't the best idea here. Pretty typical movie, nothing exciting, dialogue gets more and more stilted as it goes along.
  • irisheyes686
    February 17, 2012
    irisheyes686
    Great cast, so I was expecting a little more, but it was still a good story. I both hated and sympathized with Dafoe's character, and it is very rare that I am able to feel that way.

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Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones
October 20, 2011
J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader

This histrionic family drama must have looked good on paper to attract such a big-name cast, but on the screen it comes off as glib, rushed, and underdeveloped. Full Review

William Goss
October 14, 2011
William Goss, Film.com

The emotional effectiveness varies from moment to moment between not pushing too hard or simply not pulling hard enough. Full Review

Joe Neumaier
October 14, 2011
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News

A dreadful exercise in navel-gazing that resides in a particularly trite corner of Pat Conroy-ville. Full Review

Lou Lumenick
October 14, 2011
Lou Lumenick, New York Post

A dispiriting rehash of dysfunctional family clichés that seems to last longer than Thanksgiving Day dinner. Full Review

Stephen Whitty
October 14, 2011
Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger

The actors are all good and a few scenes -- an opening family argument, a crucial battle when Michael finally fights back -- are painfully moving. Full Review

Mick LaSalle
October 13, 2011
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle

The relationships are lived-in and complex, with the same hopelessness that we find in real life. People don't change. Full Review

Manohla Dargis
October 13, 2011
Manohla Dargis, New York Times

Lee doesn't trust his storytelling or the audience. Full Review

Betsy Sharkey
October 13, 2011
Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times

"Fireflies" is probably too convoluted to pave the way for more roles of this sort, but watching Reynolds get inside Michael's pain, you hope it won't be long until something will. Full Review

Roger Ebert
October 13, 2011
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

A fraught family drama that shows us the same family in past and present, 22 years apart. It might have been more effective if it had followed a chronological order. Full Review

Nick Schager
October 11, 2011
Nick Schager, Village Voice

Despite an A-list roster, the performances are universally one-note, a fact largely attributable to a script overflowing with blunt dialogue and heavy-handed symbolism. Full Review

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