Nola (2003)
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0% of critics liked it
(13 reviews) -
43% of users liked it
(881 ratings)
Nola (Emmy Rossum) is a Kansas teen who runs away to New York City to escape an abusive stepfather. Once she gets to the big town, she sets about looking for a job and for her father, whom she's never met. She attacks both tasks with fierce determination, but has little success, until she… More Nola (Emmy Rossum) is a Kansas teen who runs away to New York City to escape an abusive stepfather. Once she gets to the big town, she sets about looking for a job and for her father, whom she's never met. She attacks both tasks with fierce determination, but has little success, until she stumbles upon a greasy spoon near Union Square where the eccentric owner, Gus (Sam Coppola), immediately takes a liking to her. Soon, she's waitressing at the diner and crashing in a room upstairs with the handsome fry cook, Ben (James Badge Dale), who also goes to law school when he feels like it. Nola spends her spare time using the phone book in an effort to track down the man she knows only as "Hutch." Things look up for Nola when she meets the sassy owner of the diner, Margaret (Mary McDonnell), who also runs a very classy escort service. Margaret sees something in Nola, and hires the girl as her assistant. As Nola's relationship with Ben gets more intimate, she tells him about her dream of being a successful songwriter. But things take an ugly turn when one of Margaret's escorts, a transsexual named Wendy (Michael Cavadias) offends a rich and powerful client, Niles (Thom Christopher). Niles is determined to have his revenge, and tries to use his media contacts to have an exposé written about Margaret's business. But the reporter assigned to the story, Leo (Steven Bauer), turns out to be an old friend of Margaret's. Nola, the feature debut of writer/director Alan Hruska, a former trial lawyer, had its world premiere at the 2003 Tribeca Film Festival. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi
- Directed By
- Alan Hruska
- Written By
- Alan Hruska
- Genres
- Drama, Romance, Comedy
R,
- In Theaters
- Aug 29, 2003 Wide
- Studio
- Samuel Goldwyn Films
Critic Reviews
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Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
Needs to be put out of its misery -- and yours.
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Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
So laughably preposterous that it's thoroughly entertaining.
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Megan Lehmann, New York Post
A dubious script that detonates into a full-blown disaster midway through.
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Jan Stuart, Newsday
Has everything you want from a good bad movie: overheated drama, overripe performances, arch characters and fruity dialogue.
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Stephen Holden, New York Times
Pits a substantial actor like Mary McDonnell, playing a New York madam, against a bogus story that crossbreeds noirish affectations and romantic comedy into an unpalatable mush that suggests strawberry ice cream slathered with beer.
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Cast
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Emmy Rossum
as Nola
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Mary McDonnell
as Margaret
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Steven Bauer
as Leo
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James Badge Dale
as Ben
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Thom Christopher
as Niles
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Michael Cavadias
as Wendy
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Sam Coppola
as Gus
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Adam Le Fevre
as Sam
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Dominic Marcus
as Slick
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Bernie McInerney
as Professor Cummings
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Michael Medeiros
as Flanders
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Larry Pine
as Max
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Janis Dardaris
as Nola's Mother
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Lynne Matthew
as Judge Belfray
- Adam LeFevre
- Matt Servitto
