The Greatest (2009)
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52% of critics liked it
(56 reviews) -
55% of users liked it
(5,704 ratings)
Tragedy opens the wounds a family has long struggled to ignore in this powerful emotional drama. Bennett Brewer (Aaron Johnson) was a bright, handsome, and talented young man who was suddenly killed in an auto accident late one night while driving home with Rose (Carey Mulligan), a girl who had been… More Tragedy opens the wounds a family has long struggled to ignore in this powerful emotional drama. Bennett Brewer (Aaron Johnson) was a bright, handsome, and talented young man who was suddenly killed in an auto accident late one night while driving home with Rose (Carey Mulligan), a girl who had been a close friend for years but had only recently become romantically involved with him. Bennett's death devastates his family: his mother, Grace (Susan Sarandon), is overcome with grief and can't stop wondering what his final minutes must have been like; father Allen (Pierce Brosnan) is forced to turn away from his mistress (Jennifer Ehle) and try to comfort a woman he's no longer certain he loves; and brother Ryan (Johnny Simmons) mourns Bennett while becoming painfully aware that he will never live up to his late brother's example in the eyes of his parents. As grief slowly brings the family's emotional troubles to the surface, two unwelcome characters come into the picture -- Rose, who has discovered she's pregnant with Bennett's child, and the truck driver (Michael Shannon) who unwittingly took Bennett's life. The first feature film from writer and director Shana Feste, The Greatest received its world premiere at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi
- Directed By
- Shana Feste
- Written By
- Shana Feste
- Genres
- Drama
- In Theaters
- Apr 2, 2010 Wide
- Studio
- Paladin
Critic Reviews
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J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader
The real surprise is Brosnan's silent, agonized performance; his post-007 career has been one long campaign to prove he's got the goods.
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Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor
Overwrought in all the wrong ways, The Greatest doesn't do its normally excellent cast any favors.
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Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
A meditation on loss by a writer-director whose honesty, sensitivity and intelligence more than mitigate the film's histrionic qualities.
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Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
Sarandon and Brosnan are very good, indeed, Brosnan surprisingly so. In fact, Brosnan has never been so opened up, so emotional and yet so precise in his work. It's a lovely performance in a film that only sometimes deserves him.
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Claudia Puig, USA Today
Though it sometimes feels more like a collection of scenes than a complete story, some moments are so raw and insightful that they feel like a punch to the heart.
See more critic ratings and reviews on Rotten Tomatoes
Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
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Cast
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Pierce Brosnan
as Allen Brewer
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Susan Sarandon
as Grace Brewer
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Carey Mulligan
as Rose
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Johnny Simmons
as Ryan Brewer
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Aaron Johnson
as Bennett Brewer
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Zöe Kravitz
as Ashley
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Jennifer Ehle
as Joan
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Amy Morton
as Lydia
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Michael Shannon
as Jordan Walker
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Kevin Hagan
as Priest
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Deirdre O'Connell
as Joyce
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Miles Robbins
as Sean
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Cara Seymour
as Janis
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Ramsey Faragallah
as Dr. Shamban
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Colby Minifie
as Latent
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Maryann Urbano
as Cheryl
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Portia
as Toni
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Dante E. Clark
as Dante


