Diminished Capacity (2008)

35% of critics liked it
(31 reviews)
36% of users liked it
(27,450 ratings)

Author Sherwood Kiraly pens the screenplay adaptation of his own comedic novel concerning a man (Matthew Broderick) who gets amnesia after suffering a blow to the head and the road trip he embarks on with his Alzheimer's-afflicted uncle (Alan Alda) and high-school sweetheart (Virginia Madsen).… More Author Sherwood Kiraly pens the screenplay adaptation of his own comedic novel concerning a man (Matthew Broderick) who gets amnesia after suffering a blow to the head and the road trip he embarks on with his Alzheimer's-afflicted uncle (Alan Alda) and high-school sweetheart (Virginia Madsen). Convinced that they will make a fortune by selling an ultra-rare baseball card at a high-profile memorabilia show, the trio sets out on the open road in search of adventure. Bobby Cannavale and Lois Smith co-star in the feature directorial debut of actor-turned-director Terry Kinney. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 27 min.
Directed By: Terry Kinney
Written By: Sherwood Kiraly
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 4, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Nov 25, 2008
Studio: IFC First Take

Critic Reviews

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
Sherwood Kiraly's slight script only makes this embarrassment of riches seem more embarrassing.
Kyle Smith, New York Post
Alda's Hawkeye Pierce charm gives way to something snappish and cagey, while Broderick's fussy stiffness is perfect.
Manohla Dargis, New York Times
The actors look as if they're having a reasonably fine time, but there's no sense of commitment here, no sense that this was a movie that absolutely, passionately had to be made.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
A mild pleasure from one end to the other, but not much more.
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
Striving for low-key character comedy, Diminished Capacity ends up diminishing its returns.
Claudia Puig, USA Today
It has moments of sweetness, but not enough poignancy or wit to turn it into the endearing art-house comedy that it aspires to be.
Victor Olliver, Teletext
It's quite easy: either go get a sedative and calm down, dear. Or see this gentle and frankly boring-as-hell movie.
Pete Hammond, Hollywood.com
This Sundance hit is a sleeper surprise of the summer -- a one-of-a-kind original.
Brian Orndorf, BrianOrndorf.com
A gentle, agreeable dramedy, Capacity reveals that Kinney has a unique hold on tone and shares a palpable charm with his actors.
Jules Brenner, Cinema Signals
Suffering from a diminished level of interest, do we know how to live up to a title, or what?
Frederica Mathewes-Green, Christianity Today
I wonder if all this worked better as a book. It begins modestly interesting, but becomes merely agitated.
Noel Murray, AV Club
Didn't we invent film festivals so we could sequester all the star-studded 'how I spent my summer vacation' indie film projects and keep them out of our arthouses?
Jeanne Kaplan, Kaplan vs. Kaplan
Although this is no 'Ferris Bueller's Day Off', Matthew Broderick does return to Chicago for a wonderful, wacky little gem.
David Kaplan, Kaplan vs. Kaplan
There is some suspense as to the fate of that baseball card.
Amy Nicholson, Boxoffice Magazine
A slog through determined wackiness, it's apt to leave audiences cold.
Lewis Beale, Film Journal International
Smart and well-written, filled with good lines and just enough offbeat moments to make it interesting, not annoying.

Read all 16 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Leo L

Hilarious movie by Terry Kinney. A good story plot that follows Cooper (Matthew Broderick) who deals with random memory loss due to an injury from a fight. Cooper is a comic editor who tries to regain all that he had previously before the accident. He returns to his hometown to care… More
Hilarious movie by Terry Kinney. A good story plot that follows Cooper (Matthew Broderick) who deals with random memory loss due to an injury from a fight. Cooper is a comic editor who tries to regain all that he had previously before the accident. He returns to his hometown to care for his uncle, and meets uo with his childhood sweetheart. They embark on an incredible journey to sell a rare baseball card and a painting. That's where things change, for better or worse. Great cast- Alan Alda, Virginia Madsen, Bobby Cannavale, and Matthew Broderick. Worth seeing.