Shrink (2008)

29% of critics liked it
(62 reviews)
52% of users liked it
(42,124 ratings)

A jaded psychiatrist takes on a pro bono case that puts his professionalism to the ultimate test in director Jonas Pate's knowing exposé of the "other" Hollywood. Between sorting through the insecurities of a fading film starlet (Saffron Burrows), a struggling writer (Mark Webber), and an… More A jaded psychiatrist takes on a pro bono case that puts his professionalism to the ultimate test in director Jonas Pate's knowing exposé of the "other" Hollywood. Between sorting through the insecurities of a fading film starlet (Saffron Burrows), a struggling writer (Mark Webber), and an obsessive-compulsive talent agent (Dallas Roberts), A-list psychiatrist Henry Carter (Kevin Spacey) barely has the time to deal with his own problems. Suddenly, into the middle of Henry's malaise wanders a troubled teen who's never even set foot in the Hollywood Hills. This is Henry's first pro bono client, and considering his current state, he's not sure that now is the best time to be taking on more work. While Henry is jaded by Hollywood, his newest patient is obsessed with it. Faced with the challenge of helping a young girl through a particularly difficult time in her life, Henry does his best to remain professional despite harboring some rather serious misgivings during their first few sessions. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 50 min.
Directed By: Jonas Pate
Written By: Thomas Moffett
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Jul 24, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Sep 29, 2009
Studio: Roadside Attractions

Critic Reviews

Cliff Doerksen, Chicago Reader
Man is born unto trouble as the sparks fly upward, and when those sparks emanate from a doobie clutched by Kevin Spacey, a smug critique of the American dream is sure to follow.
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
I'm not his manager, but I wonder if Kevin Spacey would profit from laying off the sardonic, disaffected, emotionally numb characters for a while. They're criminally easy for him at this point in his career.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
The characters are so flatly conceived and their dilemmas so familiar that you wonder if the filmmakers even aspired to be original. Luckily, Kevin Spacey plays Carter with scene-saving grace.
Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter
There really was a much better comedy here than melodrama.
Amy Biancolli, San Francisco Chronicle
Some of the humor is delicious. And there are a few fine moments of truth and pathos, most of them addressing a subset of grief often ignored on film.
Michael Posner, Globe and Mail
No one knows why bad things happen to good people. But we do know why bad things happen to good film ideas. They get ruined by poor scripts and indifferent direction.
, This is London
The film, expertly played by actors who look as if they know exactly what they are talking about, is a bit like a voyeur's view of the Hollywood we only hear about in scandal sheets.
Allan Hunter, Daily Express
Shrink neatly intertwines the lives of the leading characters in a manner reminiscent of Robert Altman's Short Cuts but without that film's haunting poignancy.
Tim Robey, Daily Telegraph
A limply-organised multi-story snoozefest from Jonas Pate.
Damon Wise, Radio Times
Though it dwells on the seamier side of showbiz -- a seedy, pill-popping actor and a slutty casting-couch actress turn up in subplots -- it ultimately buys into the fantasy land it had started out debunking.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
Blackly funny but never as vicious as it clearly wants to be, this rather nihilistic look at modern society keeps us hooked with desperate and lost characters who all have a whiff of soulful humanity.
Angie Errigo, Empire Magazine
Sharp and edgy but with a touching warmth, this satire piques the heart as well as the funny bone.
Kelly Vance, East Bay Express
Throw it in the shark tank with Crash, Grand Canyon, Magnolia, etc.
Emily S. Mendel, culturevulture.net
Shrink has fine acting, intriguing characters and moments of humor and pathos, but I left the theater feeling a bit cheated.
Chris Cabin, Filmcritic.com
It's an impressively convoluted piece of writing, but it loses it shine when it becomes clear that neither Moffett nor Pate know where they are going with these stories
Sean Axmaker, MSN.com
It's another Los Angeles movie that is alternately self-congratulatory and self-pitying...
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
Though a little too interconnected when it comes to narrative coincidences, the emotional intensity laced with deliciously dark humor and nasty neo-screwball wit, outweighs the gimmickry.
Prairie Miller, NewsBlaze
Though a little too interconnected when it comes to narrative coincidences, the emotional intensity laced with deliciously dark humor and nasty neo-screwball wit, outweighs the gimmickry.
Marc Mohan, Oregonian
[The characters'] fates, naturally, intertwine, with a resolution that could only occur in Hollywood.
Cynthia Fuchs, PopMatters
As all of Shrink's seemingly disparate stories begin to fall too cleverly into each other, it's easy to be distracted by some fine performances.

Read all 23 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

familiar s

Too much crowd, but almost everyone did right to their part, without which it'd have been a challenge to watch the movie. In the wake of my conscience (BTW, did I ever tell you that it exists??), I couldn't help myself leaving this comment without mentioning that Kevin… More
Too much crowd, but almost everyone did right to their part, without which it'd have been a challenge to watch the movie. In the wake of my conscience (BTW, did I ever tell you that it exists??), I couldn't help myself leaving this comment without mentioning that Kevin Spacey was, as usual, incredible.
♥˩ƳИИ &

Cast: Kevin Spacey, Keke Palmer, Jack Huston, Saffron Burrows, Mark Webber, Dallas Roberts, Griffin Dunne, Pell James, Andrew Sibner, Robin Williams, Laura Ramsey, Robert Loggia, Jesse Plemons, Gore Vidal, Derek Alvarado Director: Jonas Pate Summary: In the wake of a personal… More
Cast: Kevin Spacey, Keke Palmer, Jack Huston, Saffron Burrows, Mark Webber, Dallas Roberts, Griffin Dunne, Pell James, Andrew Sibner, Robin Williams, Laura Ramsey, Robert Loggia, Jesse Plemons, Gore Vidal, Derek Alvarado Director: Jonas Pate Summary: In the wake of a personal tragedy, Hollywood's psychiatrist to the stars (Kevin Spacey) devolves into a slovenly pothead and worries he's become incapable of helping his patients in this sharp indie drama that premiered at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. My Thoughts: "Another great film with another great performance by Kevin Spacey. It's a film about death, grief and the way it effects the people that are left behind to mourn. In this film it shows it in a couple of ways. But it is mostly about a man (Spacey) who is having problems coming to terms with his wife's suicide. Feeling guilt and extreme grief he starts self medicating himself with marijuana. It's also a look at how Hollywood stars deal with the pressure of their stardom. I was surprised to see Robin Williams portray a character who is so close to his real persona. Keke Palmer did very well in this as well. You certainly felt bad for her character and her loss. I have never seen her act before and thought she did her character justice. She gave a very natural performance which made the character real and believable. Great script and performances by all. Definitely worth the watch, especially if your a fan of Kevin Spacey like I am.."
Leigh R

Kevin Spacey is brilliant in this role. He never fails to bring such great characters to life and he shined in this one. It's a hard subject to bring out, but the film was pretty raw and beautiful, and captured the heart of everyone well.
Steven C

"Shrink" has such copious amounts of ethos and pathos that you are completely sucked in. The performances are so nuanced and lived-in that there is such an air of reality to the proceedings. Kevin Spacey gives an incredible performance (one of his best, personally) and the… More
"Shrink" has such copious amounts of ethos and pathos that you are completely sucked in. The performances are so nuanced and lived-in that there is such an air of reality to the proceedings. Kevin Spacey gives an incredible performance (one of his best, personally) and the amazing Keke Palmer delivers in spades. The interweaving stories work for the most part, which says a lot for that type of film. Sometimes movies like this can be contrived, and "Shrink" can be, but for extremely fleeting moments. The vignettes are stung together in a way that is only believable for Los Angeles (the ending for sure), and in that it works. The cinematography is inspired (with one hell of a master shot) and is like a whole other character. "Shrink" is not perfect, but either is life and this film is first and foremost a story about life, so I can forgive whatever flaws it may have.
Lorenzo v

"The doctor is out." Unable to cope with a recent personal tragedy, LA's top celebrity shrink turns into a pothead with no concern for his appearance and a creeping sense of his inability to help his patients. <center>"The doctor is out." Unable to cope with a recent personal tragedy, LA's top celebrity shrink turns into a pothead with no concern for his appearance and a creeping sense of his inability to help his patients. <center>REVIEW</center> Story of a group of people living in California searching for happiness. A Story told countless times, and failing countless times, though not the case with this one. Kevin Spacey appears to be back on form with his best performance since American Beauty. He portrays a wealthy shrink who loses his wife, and turns to marijuana to help cope with the loss. The entire cast surrounding Spacey was absolutely pitch perfect including the wonderful young actress Keke Palmer, Mark Webber, Saffron Burrows, and a small, but brilliant performance by Robin Williams. Everything from the camera work (including possibly the best tracking shot I've seen this decade), editing, and for the most part, the screenplay worked to perfection in this. If you haven't seen this little gem, I recommend you go rent it! I absolutely adored it.
Walter M

"I'll be there right after my AA meeting." "Oh, Larry. I didn't you realize you had a drinking problem." "Well I don't really, but that's where all the deals are being made these days." - Peter Gallagher & Tim Robbins,… More
"I'll be there right after my AA meeting." "Oh, Larry. I didn't you realize you had a drinking problem." "Well I don't really, but that's where all the deals are being made these days." - Peter Gallagher & Tim Robbins, "The Player," 1992 In "Shrink," Henry Carter(Kevin Spacey) is an enormously successful psychoanalyst on the surface. Since his wife committed suicide, marijuana is the only thing that has stopped him from killing somebody, so his dad(Robert Loggia), who is in the same line of business, stages an unsuccessful intervention. He also brings his son a new client in the person of Jemma(Keke Palmer), a high school student who prefers going to the movies during the day. She is unlike Henry's show business clients that include Holden(Robin Williams), an alcoholic who thinks he is a sex addict, Kate(Saffron Burrows), an actress in couples therapy, and Patrick(Dallas Roberts), an agent who torments his pregnant assistant Daisy(Pell James). No, it is not what you think... The overly earnest "Shrink" does not leave anything unsaid. For example, it does not have to be explained why Jemma does what she does. I have heard about people who like to take the day off and go see a movie during the day, even if she is an extreme example. Plus, I am currently trying to figure out how to put ticket stubs in my ceiling. The movie uses her story in going after Hollywood for not being more about real people when the movie is in fact full of cliches, like the minimum wage guy who wrote a script. It goes on to use drugs as a crutch in its rabid statement in blaming them for the current state of bad Hollywood movies when in reality no amount of drugs could cause movies that bad. This is compared to the older movies Jemma likes to go to.(Yeah, like everybody was clean in the good old days.) I'm not a big fan of Robert Altman movies but this is the kind of movie he could do better in his sleep. At least, Kevin Spacey is trying here...
Sol C

The film was so so. The film has the same style as Crash did. The acting performances are really good. Spacey shines as usual. Keke Palmer gets better in every role I see her in. On the negative, I thought some of the scenes were not lit really well. Some scenes were too dark,… More
The film was so so. The film has the same style as Crash did. The acting performances are really good. Spacey shines as usual. Keke Palmer gets better in every role I see her in. On the negative, I thought some of the scenes were not lit really well. Some scenes were too dark, lighting wise. Also the pacing was off. Some scenes were too slow. Despite the flaws that the film has, I still recommend the film, especially for the performances by the cast.
Christopher H

Shrink is a valiant attempt at a meaningful drama, but in the end, the film is truly only worth the two average performances from Spacey and Palmer. See Shrink solely for an exemplary display of Kevin Spaceyâ€™s range and uncanny ability to remain relevant â€¦
Mike T

Kevin Spacey delivers a career-best performance in this admittedly flawed, but highly underrated character drama. The film is often criticized for the amount of characters it examines, and for the seriousness of its material, but I find it to be touching and thoroughly entertaining.… More
Kevin Spacey delivers a career-best performance in this admittedly flawed, but highly underrated character drama. The film is often criticized for the amount of characters it examines, and for the seriousness of its material, but I find it to be touching and thoroughly entertaining. It's a crisply directed, expertly acted piece with a lot of beautifully tender moments. I'd recommend people see it for Spacey's performance alone, but the whole film is quite good. I think the critics are horribly wrong about this one. I really fell in love with it on a second viewing. One of 2009's strongest.
Erin C

This was pretty good. I watched it over a year ago, and I can't remember it too much.
Barry L

Absolutely loved this film. The greif councellor who is himself being eaten up inside by his own sence of loss and dessolation slowly grinding to a halt. Spacey is such a fantastic actor I doubt anyone else could have played the part as good.
Jonny C

Good movie. I Liked the interwoven story and the snappy dialogue. I hadn't seen Kevin Spacey in anything for quite a while, and I was reminded of how good an actor he is. The rest of the cast are good too, with an nice cameo from Robin Williams. Shrink's well worth your… More
Good movie. I Liked the interwoven story and the snappy dialogue. I hadn't seen Kevin Spacey in anything for quite a while, and I was reminded of how good an actor he is. The rest of the cast are good too, with an nice cameo from Robin Williams. Shrink's well worth your consideration.
Sarah P

I thought it was good, but nothing spectacular. And I love Kevin Spacey...he didn't disappoint.