Next Stop Wonderland (1998)

74% of critics liked it
(43 reviews)
69% of users liked it
(3,559 ratings)

An independent romantic comedy, Next Stop, Wonderland (1998) made headlines at the Sundance Film Festival when it became the object of a bidding war, ultimately won by Miramax Pictures to the tune of $6 million. Hope Davis stars as Erin Castleton, a night-shift nurse who's cruelly dumped by her… More An independent romantic comedy, Next Stop, Wonderland (1998) made headlines at the Sundance Film Festival when it became the object of a bidding war, ultimately won by Miramax Pictures to the tune of $6 million. Hope Davis stars as Erin Castleton, a night-shift nurse who's cruelly dumped by her boyfriend Sean (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a political activist. When her mother Piper (Holland Taylor) places a wildly inaccurate personals ad in the local paper, Erin is at first enraged, but then becomes curious. After she dates a variety of men who are all wrong for her, she meets Andre (Jose Zuniga), a handsome Brazilian music expert who invites her to Sao Paulo. Although Erin likes Andre, her Mr. Right is actually Alan Monteiro (Alan Gelfant), a plumber she's never met, though the two keep crossing paths. Trying to break out of his working class existence, Alan is studying marine biology but is indebted to a local mob boss, who wants him to kidnap a star blowfish from the local aquarium. Actress Taylor, the real-life aunt of co-writer, editor and director Brad Anderson, also appeared in his next film, Happy Accidents (1999). ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Brad Anderson
Written By: Brad Anderson, Lyn Vaus
Genres: Drama, Romance, Comedy

In Theaters: Aug 21, 1998 Wide
On DVD: Oct 2, 2001
Studio: Miramax Films

Critic Reviews

Stephen Holden, New York Times
Next Stop, Wonderland isn't really much more than a beautifully acted, finely edited sitcom, but it creates and sustains an intelligent, seriocomic mood better than any recent film about the urban single life.
Ruthe Stein, San Francisco Chronicle
A sweetly seductive romantic comedy!
Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle
There's not much to stop for in Wonderland.
Emanuel Levy, EmanuelLevy.Com
Brad Anderson's stylish and original romantic comedy features a wonderful performance from Hope Davis.
Brian Mckay, eFilmCritic.com
While I wouldn't say it revolutionizes the chick flick, it's certainly more clever and endurable than most of them.
Ethan Alter, Film Journal International
What makes the movie work is the character of Erin, easily one of the most interesting and involving creations, male or female, of the past year.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Dean L

Did you ever hear that old adage, "Love always finds you when you aren't looking for it" or "You can't find love...it finds you."? Here you have it. A woman is caught between her feelings of contentment with being alone and some nagging need inside her… More
Did you ever hear that old adage, "Love always finds you when you aren't looking for it" or "You can't find love...it finds you."? Here you have it. A woman is caught between her feelings of contentment with being alone and some nagging need inside her that tells her she needs love and to be loved. There is even a dialogue between Erin (The main character played by Hope Davis...who is marvelous) and a colleague where her colleague turns to her and says, "Don't you just hate men?" and Erin turns back and says "No, I wish I did. It would make life a hell of a lot easier." While a series of missed meetings with someone who is apparently her soulmate play in the background she goes on various "dates" to find a suitable suitor. She is a hard match up. She is incredibly intelligent, strong-willed, beautiful, and most of all, fighting the need that she feels to be in love and loved in kind. Enter Alan, the aspiring Marine Biologist, but practicing plumber...who is always just out of reach in our seemingly small world. There are a few loose ends (probably better left untied) and a few performances that were lacking otherwise I might have given this movie 5 stars...I really did enjoy it that much. If you are looking for a love story/comedy wrapped in in anti-love story focused on a very strong female lead with some biting and witty dialogue, but is in no way a "chick flick"...this is your movie. Enjoy
Daisy M

<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i32.tinypic.com/27yrew0.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> Next Stop Wonderland was a enjoyable movie to watch. The romantic… More
<a href="http://tinypic.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://i32.tinypic.com/27yrew0.jpg" border="0" alt="Image and video hosting by TinyPic"></a> Next Stop Wonderland was a enjoyable movie to watch. The romantic aspect was the backbone of the movie.The connection worked because when you met the two future lovers, you know they were special in a way. These two characters had a special bond, even before they met. So the whole time the movie went on , you felt they were together because of their similarities.The supporting cast was wonderful. Phillip Seymour Hoffman had a small role, even so he was great. The movie reminds me a little of Sleepless in Seattle.