68
Metascore
22 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 100Chicago TribuneGene SiskelChicago TribuneGene SiskelThis is a movie that redefines the concept of a family picture. Families should see it together because there will be plenty to talk about regardless of how new your crowd is to this country. [19 Oct 1990, p.C]
- 88RogerEbert.comRoger EbertRogerEbert.comRoger EbertAvalon is often a warm and funny film, but it is also a sad one, and the final sequence is heartbreaking. It shows the way in which our modern families, torn loose of their roots, have left old people alone and lonely--warehoused in retirement homes. The story of the movie is the story of how the warmth and closeness of an extended family is replaced by alienation and isolation.
- 88Washington PostHal HinsonWashington PostHal HinsonWith Avalon, Levinson reaches into his deepest self, and an artist can't be asked to do much more.
- 70Washington PostDesson ThomsonWashington PostDesson ThomsonWhere Avalon works, as with Diner and Tin Men, is where it's improvisory, comic and most artistically humble.
- 70The New York TimesJanet MaslinThe New York TimesJanet MaslinA generous and touching film that is essentially smaller than its own sweeping ambitions, a crowded and skillfully drawn landscape from which no oversize figures emerge. Affection and memory are the forces that give Avalon its vibrancy, but they are also its limitations.
- 67Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittThe movie is more striking to watch than to hear, more interesting as a tone poem than as a drama. In the end, it's a half-successful film on a subject that could have been all fascinating.
- 60Rolling StonePeter TraversRolling StonePeter TraversLevinson wants nothing less than to capture the hope and despair of the American dream through the saga of one family — his family. It’s a grand ambition. But the film, though exquisitely crafted, lacks the political, spiritual and sociological depth to realize it. What Avalon does offer are rich period details, abundant scenes of humor and heartbreak and outstanding performances.
- 40Time OutTime OutIt's a shamelessly sentimental interpretation of history, with television ushering in a generation which has lost the art of communication and the ability to care. Against this blinkered vision, even Levinson's confident direction and ability to capture the absurdities and rhythms of everyday speech fail to provide sufficient compensation.
- 33Entertainment WeeklyEntertainment WeeklyThe movie is the visual equivalent of a stranger picking out highlights from his family album and providing brief descriptions of them. Everything that happens in Avalon, be it happiness or trauma, is infused with the same tone. The result is test-pattern emotion; everything’s on the same level. There’s no discrimination and, hence, no drama.