Busy Philipps,
Erika Christensen,
Victor Garber,
Holland Taylor,
Ken Jenkins
... see more 
American independent filmmaker Paul F. Ryan makes his feature debut with the psychological drama Home Room. The students of Valley High School try to get on with their lives in the aftermath of a trau... read more
DVD Release Date: October 14, 2003
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Stats: 288 reviews
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Flixster Reviews (288)
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December 21, 2010Where was I when this one came out? This film is a jewel. It opens as a shooting at an American high school has just ended. One girl witnessed the whole thing. What did she see? Another traumatized by the event. An unlikely friendship unfolds, and the truth is revealed. It's leng... read more
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July 9, 2010Very offbeat. No real opinion on it, except I did manage to get through it all and I don't hate it. It was... alright.
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December 6, 2009Erika Christensen, Busy Philipps, James Pickens Jr., Victor Garber, Ken Jenkins
A small town is rocked by a shooting at its high school that results in nine deaths and serious injury to one popular female student, Deanna (Erika Christensen). As a detective (Victor Garber) look... read more -
October 9, 2009Home Room deals with a Columbine-like high-school shooting but rather than hashing over the occurrence itself the film portrays the aftermath and what happened to the survivors, their trauma, guilt and denial.
*Spoilers* The shooting itself is treated as a foregone conclusion, w... read more -
October 20, 2008Reasonably developping its characters but ultimately rather thin in purpose, Home Room is a convincing but sluggish drama in which fundamentally opposite personalities collide in the aftermath of a tragic school shooting.
Paul F. Ryan prefers showing us how true human beings ... read more -
August 6, 2008I liked this movie. It had very good acting and was more about the aftermath of violence than the actual act of violence.
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March 26, 2007Surprisingly strong. What could have been a forgettable straight-to-dvd exploitation piece is, instead, a well acted character-driven picture. Rather recounting the events leading to a school shooting, this film chooses to focus on the aftermath, in particular the relationship be... read more
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October 26, 2011This movie was definitely better than I was expecting. It is dark and covers a horrible topic, shooting in high schools. I found this movie extremely interesting and it kept my interest throughout. The side story of Busy Philips character, Alicia, really felt detached from the re... read more
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February 24, 2011At first it seemed a little "after school special" or a made for tv movie, but once you get past the production values the story is pretty compelling. For the most part its two girls that are forced to hang out together the are very different, developing an unlikely bond.
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January 3, 2011Powerful performances drive this character study about the lives of a group of people in the wake of a tragedy. A mixture of 'The Breakfast Club' and 'Bowling For Colombine', this movie will stay with you way after it's over. A must see film with a heart tugging message for every... read more
Critic Reviews
September 12, 2003
Erika Gonzalez, Denver Rocky Mountain News
September 12, 2003
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
Alicia and Deanna's journey toward friendship, or at least a truer understanding, is moving. Full Review
September 8, 2003
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
In the midst of this didactic, self-conscious movie about a high school shooting comes an extraordinary and intense performance by a young actress named Busy Philipps, which elevates the whole picture.
September 5, 2003
Lou Lumenick, New York Post
Overall, it plays like the world's longest -- over two hours -- after-school special.
September 5, 2003
Jack Mathews, New York Daily News
Too often crosses the line between good melodrama and rank cliché. Full Review
September 4, 2003
Stephen Holden, New York Times
At 133 minutes, Home Room is sluggishly paced and refuses to lighten up for even a second. Full Review
September 4, 2003
Kevin Crust, Los Angeles Times
With an unconscionably long running time of 2 hours and 11 minutes for what is essentially a two-hander between Philipps and Christensen, Home Room feels like detention -- without the possibility of r... Full Review
September 4, 2003
John Anderson, Newsday
Overwrought, way too long, and rife with emotional implausibilities, the film comes very close to being an affront to the memory of the victims of these real-life catastrophes, because very little in ... Full Review
September 2, 2003
J. Hoberman, Village Voice
Badly acted and, running well over two hours, often mind-numbingly ponderous. Full Review
January 11, 2004
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
Though the film is overlong (it runs over two hours), it's never boring - mainly due to a pair of fantastic lead performances. Full Review
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Home Room
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