The Man in the Moon (1991)

89% of critics liked it
(19 reviews)
83% of users liked it
(32,230 ratings)

In its elegiac nostalgia for the days of childhood innocence, Robert Mulligan's The Man in the Moon recalls another of Mulligan's earlier films, To Kill A Mockingbird. Set in a Louisiana backwater town in the 1950s, the film chronicles the coming-of-age of a young teenage girl. Dani (Reese… More In its elegiac nostalgia for the days of childhood innocence, Robert Mulligan's The Man in the Moon recalls another of Mulligan's earlier films, To Kill A Mockingbird. Set in a Louisiana backwater town in the 1950s, the film chronicles the coming-of-age of a young teenage girl. Dani (Reese Witherspoon) is a fourteen-year-old girl who shares a room with her seventeen-year-old sister Maureen (Emily Warfield). During hot summer nights, they sleep on the screened-in back porch of their home, talking about romance, the future, and the meaning of life. Moving into the house next door is a handsome seventeen-year-old boy, Court Foster (Jason London). Court meets Dani at the local swimming hole and they are immediately attracted to each other; through Court, Dani experiences her first true and perfect love. But when Court meets Maureen, the sparks really fly and Maureen falls in love with him too. Now Maureen is torn between holding back her love for Court or accepting his love and betraying her sister. A tragic event makes Maureen's mind up for her. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 45 min.
Directed By: Robert Mulligan
Genres: Drama, Romance

In Theaters: Aug 30, 1991 Wide
On DVD: Jan 9, 2001
Studio: MGM

Critic Reviews

Variety Staff, Variety
Newcomer Witherspoon manages to strike exactly the right note as the tomboy on the verge of womanhood while Waterston works on several levels at once.
Janet Maslin, New York Times
Gets an outstandingly natural performance out of Miss Witherspoon, who has no trouble carrying a lot of the film single-handedly. It falls to her to remind the audience that this story is at heart about a family, and she does.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
"The Man in the Moon" is a wonderful movie, but it is more than that, it is a victory of tone and mood. It is like a poem.
Rita Kempley, Washington Post
"The Man in the Moon" is an intimate, sentimental coming-of-age drama, a sweet little puppy love movie crushed by the enormity of its tragic twists.
Renee Schonfeld, Common Sense Media
Reese Witherspoon shines in coming-of-age tale.
Derek Adams, Time Out
The heart-warming tone steadily becomes overheated.
Mark Pfeiffer, TheFilmJournal.com (Ohio)
Mulligan uses a delicate touch in revealing the confusion in growing up and the loss in discovering that the world isn't as simple or perfect as children believe it to be.
Michael E. Grost, Classic Film and Television
Beautifully filmed, with Mulligan's special gifts for depicting country life and the South.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
Tender and touching film about two sisters whose close relationship is tested by the joy of love and the pain of grief.
Kevin N. Laforest, Montreal Film Journal
"The Man in the Moon" doesn't break anything, but it does know a thing or two about first love and friendship. A small gem.
James Sanford, Kalamazoo Gazette
"a drama that lingers on in the memory"
Marjorie Baumgarten, Austin Chronicle
This cast is a knock-out. As the parents, veterans Sam Waterston, Tess Harper and Gail Strickland lead these novice teen actors in setting standards that these young performers will spend the rest of their careers trying to emulate.
Chris Hicks, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
A touching, sweet-natured coming-of-age story set in a more innocent time, "The Man in the Moon" boasts sensitive direction and superb performances, even when the script occasionally falters.
Mark R. Leeper, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Robert Mulligan directs this story with all the sensitivity he can muster. And sensitivity is certainly what the plot needs, since it is perilously close to being a trashy Southern passions sort of melodrama.
Shane Burridge, rec.arts.movies.reviews
Self-contained in its own simplicity

Read all 15 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

John M

Reese Witherspoons first movie I beleive. Sam Waterson shines as the father, Jason London also does well. This is a tear jerker film of the upteenth degree but as others have said, this is a story about sisters and true love. Its a beautiful tale and well told. If you have never seen… More
Reese Witherspoons first movie I beleive. Sam Waterson shines as the father, Jason London also does well. This is a tear jerker film of the upteenth degree but as others have said, this is a story about sisters and true love. Its a beautiful tale and well told. If you have never seen this your missing out.
Jennifer X

For a kid's movie, a surprisingly non-cheesy but still warming story with wonderful pastoral images. Grass and Elvis makes me melt. Reese emerged as an actress well-aware of the nuances and intonations necessary to shoot this role to the next level. It sucks that this preteen… More
For a kid's movie, a surprisingly non-cheesy but still warming story with wonderful pastoral images. Grass and Elvis makes me melt. Reese emerged as an actress well-aware of the nuances and intonations necessary to shoot this role to the next level. It sucks that this preteen role is more edgy than any Four Christmases crap she's relegated to now. PS. I'm glad Jason London at least got to have sex before the accident.
jay n

shows just what a good actress reese witherspoon can be
Leigh R

It was good.
Mark A

A tender, sweet story of first loves, told on multiple levels, this film introduced Reese Witherspoon to the public. Reese plays coltish Danielle "Danny" Trant, a fourteen year old who discovers her first love in Court Foster (Jason London), who just moved in next door and… More
A tender, sweet story of first loves, told on multiple levels, this film introduced Reese Witherspoon to the public. Reese plays coltish Danielle "Danny" Trant, a fourteen year old who discovers her first love in Court Foster (Jason London), who just moved in next door and struggles with unfamiliar feelings. Big sister Maureen (Gail Strickland), the town beauty, also falls in love with Court, and although she has had boy friends before, this time it's for real! A lot of very tender moments, mostly supplied by Reese, and some laugh out loud moments as well, made this very enjoyable. Her star power lights up the screen here, and makes this somewhat predictable story sparkle with wit and teenage angst. The supporting cast does a terrific job of selling the story and the Louisiana countryside provides a steamy backdrop to the emotional ride this takes us on. There are some tangents that were available for further exploration (the history between Court's mom and Danny's dad, for instance) that were left dangling and for that, I can't give this five stars, but I will definitely go four and a half! I would gladly watch it again.
Joey N

Watching this movie was an interesting experience. It's so small, gentle, and awfully sweet, but at the same time I knew it wasn't really saying anything new or surprising. While conscious of this, I couldn't help but enjoy myself. The film unfurls like a dream and… More
Watching this movie was an interesting experience. It's so small, gentle, and awfully sweet, but at the same time I knew it wasn't really saying anything new or surprising. While conscious of this, I couldn't help but enjoy myself. The film unfurls like a dream and it kept my attention for almost its entire length. It's particularly strong in terms of mood. It reminded me of a less artsy fartsy version of The Virgin Suicide. I have a feeling I'm not going to forget how watching this film FELT, as opposed to the actual plot. Reese Witherspoon gives a compltely natural performance-to the point where I forgot I was watching an actress doing a job. Contrast this performance with Election, and what you got is an actress with range.
Jason R

Reese Witherspoon in her very first movie and she gives us an early glimpse at what a great actress she is. This film is incredibly well-made, despite the shocking and extremely disappointing ending.
Lea L

Great movie..
Donna D

First movie that Reese Witherspoon did in this heart felt story. A first love's tale that ends tragically, the story is moving and the actors are amazing in this tear jerker movie.
Audrey L

A touching coming of age film.