Jessica Alba, Elizabeth Banks, Aaron Eckhart

A guy fed up with his job and married to a cheating wife reluctantly mentors a rebellious teen.

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47% liked it

4,478 ratings

Critics

20% liked it

20 critics

R, 1 hr. 32 min.

Directed by: Melisa Wallack

Release Date: April 4, 2008

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DVD Release Date: July 15, 2008

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Stats: 1,060 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (1,060)


  • December 1, 2008
    Timothy Olyphant and Jessica Alba could've easily ruined this movie for me, but they were surprisingly tolerable. Olyphant played the only believable role he ever plays -- a douchebag. That Logan Lerman kid, however, reminds me of the kid in Charlie Bartlett and should be in more...( read more) movies.

    And the music was pretty cool. As was Eckhart.
  • September 2, 2008
    This movie was pretty decent.
    Aaron Eckhart plays the character very well. I wish there were more of Jessica Alba, I thought she was pretty amazing in this movie. The one who stole the show was obviously Logan Lerman.

    The movie needed something more to it. I'm not sure what it i...( read more)s, but it needed something. Maybe it needed a better understanding of what the plot was about. It felt like it threw in things at times and just expect you to catch on with what they were doing.

    Pretty entertaining, nothing made me laugh, but a few chuckles now and again.
  • August 29, 2008
    I laughed, I cringed. It's like American Beauty got turned into a comedy, but without the brain splattering. Aaron Eckhart is my new hero. I really enjoyed it, but near the end it had some over exaggerated drug scenes and some 'moral of the story' elements.
  • July 24, 2008
    Bill (Aaron Eckhart, The Dark Knight) lives a horrible life. He's a middle aged dweeb dismissed by everyone around him. As a pencil pusher in his father-in-law's family bank, he's all title and no power. At home, his distant wife (Elizabeth Banks, Definitely, Maybe) has taken up ...( read more)with a local newscaster (Timothy Olyphant, Hitman). His gay brother thinks he's a sap, and even worse, he's stuck mentoring a kid (Logan Lerman, Hoot) from his alma mater prep school. Of course, the two don't get along at first. Bill hates the fact that his charge treats life like one big cut-rate Ferris Bueller-esque party. The Kid, on the other hand, dislikes his 'teacher's' downbeat and defeatist attitude. Together, they will pursue their individual dreams?Bill's of owing a donut shop franchise, the Kid's of landing a date with lingerie sales clerk Lucy (Jessica Alba, Fantastic Four). Of course, they will have to overcome their own personal inadequacies, and realize that there is more to the world than there own limited purview. The subplot with Jessica Alba seems strange, since the notion that she would flirt with a kid half her age is creepy, not comic. Even odder, Elizabeth Banks is stranded in adulterous harpy mode, her last act change of heart coming more from a screenplay, not sensible, position.
  • May 20, 2008
    Aaron Eckhart's performance is the only thing that kept this film intact until the end. He plays Bill, a down-and-out 30 something guy who works for the father of his wife. He reluctantly takes a kid under his wing and be his mentor.

    He was supposed to teach the kid about lif...( read more)e and all that comes along with it, instead the kid taught Bill that life is more than a good desk job and a bar of Snickers.

    A solid performance by Aaron Eckhart. He was funny, outrageous, comedic, unbelievable, awkward, silly whatever you call him, he was pretty impressive.

    I don't know about the remaining actors though. Jessica Alba barely spoke in the entire film and her role was downright useless. Its a damn shame.

    3/5
  • November 21, 2009
    Davvero davvero carino.
    Aaron Eckhart è un amore d'uomo e pure un bravo attore, pensare che fino a qualche fa lo sottovalutavo miseramente ò_ò
  • November 21, 2009
    Jessica Alba, Elizabeth Banks, Aaron Eckhart

    A guy fed up with his job and married to a cheating wife reluctantly mentors a rebellious teen.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Great comedy. Really liked this movie a lot. I was laughing one mom...( read more)ent and then cringing in embarrassment for Aaron Eckhart's character Bill another moment. Just some really awkward moments that make you wanna laugh but then feel sorry for the guy. Logan Lerman was great in this movie. Liked his sarcastic comments and if not for his performance, I feel Jessica Alba's would have been forgetful. Logan definitely stills her spotlight. Aaron Eckhart was great. I loved his acting in this movie. He was hilarious.
  • November 13, 2009
    Plagued by a midlife crisis, Bill (Aaron Eckhart) is an overweight office drone whose wife (Elizabeth Banks) is cheating on him with a smarmy television reporter (Timothy Olyphant). Bill befriends a rich private-school teen and a bored lingerie saleswoman (Jessica Alba), and thro...( read more)ugh a series of funny high jinks the duo helps Bill make changes within himself for the better,and put down the Snickers bars, quit his thankless job, and leave his spouse. a lighhearted sometimes funny flick.
    .







    .
  • November 9, 2009
    A middle-aged man in a suburban neighborhood starts to get bored with his life and the way people step on him; he even tolerates his wife cheating on him repeatedly. Soon, he befriends a young boy, begins exercising, smokes some weed, and realizes that he doesn't need this life....( read more) So begins American Beauty. ...I mean, Meet Bill.

    Why have Jessica Alba in your film if you only use her for 10 minutes? To get poor suckers such as myself to watch it. At least Elizabeth Banks doesn't disappoint. The relationship between Bill and his cheating wife seems too contrived to keep things moving. And the similarities to American Beauty are too great to ignore. But again, if you like Elizabeth Banks, WATCH THIS FILM.
  • October 18, 2009
    Something is slightly off in this movie, making it far from great, but I can't quite place what exactly it is. It's not a horrible movie either. The script, while trying a little too hard to be quirky at times, and may have too much going on, slowing down the overall pace conside...( read more)rably, by and large works. Aaron Eckhart delivers a sweet performance and a loveable loser, while Logan Lerman shows great potential as a wayward teen who just wants to have fun. The rest of the cast isn't as strong, but they aren't bad enough to keep you away entirely.

Critic Reviews


April 3, 2008
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

Meet Bill misfires on multiple levels, but its foremost mistake is focusing on a sad-sack underachiever. Bill doesn't believe in himself, so why should we? full review

View more Meet Bill reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • jaxroxsox
    July 28, 2008
    this movie was really good! i really recommend it!

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Meet Bill Trivia


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