Winter Passing (2004)

40% of critics liked it
(52 reviews)
56% of users liked it
(81,037 ratings)

Money and emotions lead to a difficult reunion between a father and daughter in this drama. Reese Holden (Zooey Deschanel) is a struggling stage actress in New York City whose life has become an uphill struggle -- her career isn't giving her satisfaction, her relationship with would-be rock star Ray… More Money and emotions lead to a difficult reunion between a father and daughter in this drama. Reese Holden (Zooey Deschanel) is a struggling stage actress in New York City whose life has become an uphill struggle -- her career isn't giving her satisfaction, her relationship with would-be rock star Ray (Dallas Roberts) is stuck in neutral, an affair with her friend Rob (Robert Beitzel) brings no excitement, and her colleague Deirdre (Deirdre O'Connell) simply doesn't understand her problems. Reese is also short on money, which is why she's willing to listen to a proposal from a publisher who wants to release a series of love letters that her mother, a well-known author who died years ago, wrote to her father, Don (Ed Harris), another respected novelist who has fallen out of the limelight but is said to be working on a final major work. Having accepted an advance for the collection, Reese pays a visit to Don in Michigan to get his OK for the project and collect the letters, but discovers two strangers have moved in with Don -- Shelly (Amelia Warner), who studied under Don and has installed herself as his business manager, and Corbit (Will Ferrell), a neighborhood sad sack who helps with the housekeeping and runs errands for the reclusive writer. As Reese vies with Shelly for her father's attention, she struggles to come to terms with issues from her childhood and the dissatisfaction with her life. Winter Passing was written and directed by noted playwright Adam Rapp; it was his first feature film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 38 min.
Directed By: Adam Rapp
Genres: Drama, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 17, 2006 Wide
On DVD: May 16, 2006
Studio: Yari Film Group

Critic Reviews

Allison Benedikt, Chicago Tribune
Midway through, Rapp loses momentum, failing to hone in on just what kind of movie he wants to make, and Winter Passing languishes in that no-man's land between tiny, meandering, indie drama and plotted, pointed family melodrama.
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
This flawed drama about a self-destructive young actress and her reclusive novelist father has its rewards, mainly in some good performances.
Ty Burr, Boston Globe
There are intriguing actors and ideas here, but only occasionally do they combine with convincing force.
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
This is the kind of movie routinely dismissed as too slow and quiet by those who don't know it is more exciting to listen than to hear.
Mario Tarradell, Dallas Morning News
It's a disturbing movie, particularly the first half, and one not easily digested.
Desson Thomson, Washington Post
Winter Passing is one dull, extended encounter session among hackneyed characters.
Christopher Campbell, Cinematical
While Deschanel is the reason to see Winter Passing, her support is nearly impeccable in keeping it from being a one-woman show.
Doris Toumarkine, Film Journal International
A cold, hard work inhabited by tortured or incidental characters who embody an interior journey that is neither entertaining nor cathartic.
Scott Weinberg, DVDTalk.com
A strangely moving experience.
Lawrence Toppman, Charlotte Observer
Performances keep the film afloat and focused whenever it threatens to drift.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Unfortunately, this too-dour film can't decide whether it wants to be a comedy or a drama. As a result, it doesn't really work as either.
Sean Means, Salt Lake Tribune
The comic moments fall flat while the serious stuff often is unintentionally funny.
Steve Rhodes, Internet Reviews
A film that feels like it will take forever to pass.
Luke Y. Thompson, New Times
What's real and true about Winter Passing is the relationship between Don and Reese, the father and daughter who wear their damaged dynamic on their sleeves for all to see.
Karl Rozemeyer, Premiere Magazine
Winter Passing's quirky elements and light comedic touches fail to save it from its dark and lumbering premise.
Marc Mohan, Oregonian
[Adam] Rapp's screenplay doesn't have much sympathy for its characters.
Matt Pais, Metromix.com
[Zooey] Deschanel carries the heavy and sometimes uneven Winter Passing, which possesses not only a love of language but a moving adoration for the language of love.
Josh Larsen, Sun Publications (Chicago, IL)
...a finding-yourself drama that gets lost in unnecessary character quirks.
Sean Axmaker, Seattle Post-Intelligencer
There isn't a spark in the familiar emotional situation or a reason to care how these amiably bland characters end up.

Read all 19 critic reviews

Critic ratings and reviews powered by RottenTomatoes.com

Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)

Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)

Featured Audience Ratings

Leigh R

Head over heels in love with this movie. It's slower paced, it's heavy, but it's brilliant. The acting is so natural and beautifully done that you forget that these people are not real. Zooey really is a superb actress and this film seriously shows her ability to… More
Head over heels in love with this movie. It's slower paced, it's heavy, but it's brilliant. The acting is so natural and beautifully done that you forget that these people are not real. Zooey really is a superb actress and this film seriously shows her ability to pull anything off. My favorite movie of hers so far without a doubt. The best line in the movie: "I just can't believe this is the same man who told his six-year-old daughter that Christmas was a Republican capitalistic conspiracy created by the Hallmark Corporation and that, if Jesus were alive today he'd be down in Nicaragua rallying the Sandinistas. Grace away." I laughed so hard that I had to go back and play the five minutes after that line to re-watch what happens.
Jake .

Winter Passing is so easy to fall in love with that it almost seems like there should be a catch. All the characters are delightfully off-color and messed up. Zooey Deschanel gives what is probably her best act yet, but also plays out of those protagonists that really are not *nice*… More
Winter Passing is so easy to fall in love with that it almost seems like there should be a catch. All the characters are delightfully off-color and messed up. Zooey Deschanel gives what is probably her best act yet, but also plays out of those protagonists that really are not *nice* people at all and are all the more lovable because of it. She has flaws and problems, but you cannot help but love her. Will Ferrell is not bad, I never thought I would have reason to say that. He should stick to these type of roles. The film really is not heart-stoppingly original. It reminded me a lot of Junebug or even Little Miss Sunshine. I guess you could say that this type of film, the stereotyped indie film, is to me what a rom-com is to a twentysomething romantic. Or to a high school cheerleader. It's a toss up between the two. One final note, this also has a scene that me cringe, something that hardly ever happens, but at the begin Deschanel drowns a kitten! That is just sick! It is easy enough to laugh of Johnny Depp slashing throats, but drowning kittens is just nasty!
Lewis C

Ah, another tale of a lost, disaffected young person that fruitlessly tries to fill their empty life with empty sex and drugs, and the family dynamics that led them to become that way. You know how these stories go. By the end, there's always some kind of acceptance and… More
Ah, another tale of a lost, disaffected young person that fruitlessly tries to fill their empty life with empty sex and drugs, and the family dynamics that led them to become that way. You know how these stories go. By the end, there's always some kind of acceptance and catharsis, and the characters end up with better relationships than when they started. Since most family dramas begin and end in somewhat the same manner, it's that middle journey that makes or breaks them, for me. How and why do the characters change? Winter Passing largely skips right over the how and why. For 90% of the movie Zooey Deschanel's and Ed Harris's characters are one way, and then in the last ten minutes they are suddenly completely different. I was so confused that I went back to check and see if I had unknowingly missed some crucial plot points or character development, but I hadn't. The viewer is actually expected to believe that these characters undergo profound and drastic changes as a result of about two brief conversations and a hospital visit. It's like they took a vague idea of a plot, and then filled in the runtime with melancholy gazing out of windows and lots of slow cigarette smoking. As for the other two main characters, they never really contributed anything of substance to the story. I suppose Amelia Warner's character was included to provide some initial friction for Reese and offer her another insight into her father's personality, and she looked so beautiful doing it that I'm willing to cut her some slack. But Will Ferrell's character was completely unnecessary. All he did was add forced quirkiness to a movie that absolutely did not need it. It didn't even fit the tone, and his sub-plot was a pointless way to pad out the running time. I didn't hate Winter Passing, I just thought that its story needed a lot more thought, focus, and fleshing out. It feels incomplete. Family drama is among the most character driven genres, and they just don't work well without strong and well-defined character arcs.
♥˩ƳИИ &

Ed Harris, Zooey Deschanel, Will Ferrell, Amelia Warner, Amy Madigan A dramatic comedy that charts the fractious reunion of an estranged father and daughter. Struggling twentysomething actress Reese Holden has been promised $100,000 by book editor Lori Lansky if Reese can secure… More
Ed Harris, Zooey Deschanel, Will Ferrell, Amelia Warner, Amy Madigan A dramatic comedy that charts the fractious reunion of an estranged father and daughter. Struggling twentysomething actress Reese Holden has been promised $100,000 by book editor Lori Lansky if Reese can secure for publication, love letters written by her legendary, but reclusive father Don, to his equally revered late wife--Reese's mother. Suddenly highly motivated, Reese treks from New York City to Michigan, where she finds Don in flagrant disregard of his own health and living with two younger housemates: practical former grad student Shelly and would-be musician Corbit. Reese, though no angel herself, does not approve of this ad hoc family. But she comes to appreciate her unlikely new "siblings," and as secrets are revealed, comes to terms with her father and their shared past and future. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Great movie, loved it. Just love indie films. Zooey and Ed are amazing.. Loved the story. Started out a little slow but picks up and doesn't disappoint. Filled with a bit of odd characters. Loved Will Ferrells open mike night. Guess this movie isn't for most, but if you like and appreciate indie films like myself, I think you will enjoy this one.
Luke B

Winter Passing is a typical indie-darling movie. Oddball characters, quirky sense of humour, actors speaking in calm hushed voices. It works due to the talent on display. Harris is, as usual, excellent. He captures disturbed genius very well. Ferrel is also very endearing in a more… More
Winter Passing is a typical indie-darling movie. Oddball characters, quirky sense of humour, actors speaking in calm hushed voices. It works due to the talent on display. Harris is, as usual, excellent. He captures disturbed genius very well. Ferrel is also very endearing in a more seious role than, but still with slight comedic quirks. It's all too similar but much less effective than other work. It's hard to find a real character to get a hold on, making it a struggle to get through some parts.
Nicki M

This was okay. Very slow moving, and I don't think I would want to watch it again, but it was a decent story, and Zoeey Deschanel is good, as always.
Lorenzo v

Reese Holden: "I just can't believe this is the same man who told his six-year-old daughter that Christmas was a Republican capitalistic conspiracy created by the Hallmark Corporation and that, if Jesus were alive today he'd be down in Nicaragua rallying the… More
Reese Holden: "I just can't believe this is the same man who told his six-year-old daughter that Christmas was a Republican capitalistic conspiracy created by the Hallmark Corporation and that, if Jesus were alive today he'd be down in Nicaragua rallying the Sandinistas. Grace Away." Actress Reese Holden has been offered a small fortune by a book editor if she can secure for publication the love letters that her father, a reclusive novelist, wrote to her mother, who has since passed away. Returning to Michigan, Reese finds that an ex-grad student and a would-be musician have moved in with her father, who cares more about his new friends than he does about his own health and well-being. The first thing you'll notice in this film is Zooey Deschanel's acting. I know I did, she is just a stunning character actress and only a few people know of her stellar performance here. If only this film was marketed more in the veins of mainstream Hollywood then Zooey might just get the applaud and praise of the movie-going audience. While the script might not pique the interest of some people, and I admit, I am one of them, I gotta say this film worked because of the actors. This is a character driven story and each of the four main characters really got the job done. Its not Zooey Deschanel portraying Reese Holdin, its Reese Holdin as portrayed by Zooey Deschanel. The same goes to Will Ferrell, who yet again strays from his comedic roots and takes on another fine performance as hopeful musician Corbett. He nailed it in Stranger than Fiction and he nailed it again here. Ed Harris who plays Reese's dad, a down and out writer Don Holdin sporting the old man hermit hairstyle. A mighty fine performance from one of the most celebrated actors out there. Then there's Amelia Warner. Can't say I haven't heard of her name before but she sure was impressive here. Winter Passing is one of those dark and moody films about a dysfunctional family so the vibe is really not that jolly when you're watching it. So I guess its up to you if you wanna watch it. 3.5/5
Daniel P

It tried to be intense, and it tried to be melodramatic, and it sort of succeeded. As a whole, though, the movie was hard to watch because Zooey Deschanel's character was wildly inconsistent - while this might be an honest portrayal in the director's mind, a character has to… More
It tried to be intense, and it tried to be melodramatic, and it sort of succeeded. As a whole, though, the movie was hard to watch because Zooey Deschanel's character was wildly inconsistent - while this might be an honest portrayal in the director's mind, a character has to hang together at least a little for the audience's sake, and she doesn't. Will Ferrell tried so hard not to be funny, but he just couldn't quite handle it, and aside from the drapes not matching the carpet (blonde wig, grey - real - beard), Ed Harris was alright too. Just a bit clumsily executed to be a good movie, though it has its moments. It's not a comedy, though - perhaps expecting it to be was what made me so critical.
Daniel J D

I loved Zooey Deschanel and Will Ferrell in this movie. Will was more subdued and un-over-the-top than in Stranger than Fiction. It's not the Royal Tenenbaums or Running with Scissors, but it's got some of the same energy, albeit, a little toned down.
Curtis L

Pretty good. Will Ferrell make it watchable.
Red L

Zooey Deschanel plays Reese, a troubled actor. She grew up with parents who were too wrapped up in their own lives to pay attention to Reese. Reese's father has strange housemates, and the movie tries to wrap up all this with a nice bow.
Bannan i

I think that I am simply drawn to these quirky and equally charming movies. There is much sarcasm that dwells here with some excellent and witty quotes. The story is this, a young strugging actress named Reese is the daughter of two presitigious authors. Her mother passes away and… More
I think that I am simply drawn to these quirky and equally charming movies. There is much sarcasm that dwells here with some excellent and witty quotes. The story is this, a young strugging actress named Reese is the daughter of two presitigious authors. Her mother passes away and editors can't help but pester her with the chance of money in exchange for publishing the famous letters her mother and father exchanged with another. Her father hasn't written for a very long time and has instead begun to keep to himself harboring two very strange roomates. Of course Reese, with the prospect of money sets out to find these letters which leads to a rather bizarre and awkward reunion with her father. She learns of many things, aquaints herself with the roomates and begins to take a different approach on things since she travels from NYC to Michigan. I suppose this is another film that teaches us about ourselves. I don't think everyone will enjoy this film, but it's worth a try.
Christopher M

I liked this film. I expected to love it, but I just liked it. It's kind of a hard film to connect to, at first and throughout - but all the same Zooey Deschanel's character Reese is pretty much our main link throughout the film and though I haven't seen any of her… More
I liked this film. I expected to love it, but I just liked it. It's kind of a hard film to connect to, at first and throughout - but all the same Zooey Deschanel's character Reese is pretty much our main link throughout the film and though I haven't seen any of her other work, she was really good here, and it is quite a beautiful woman. The cast is very good but none of the others characters get to do a lot. However, they were all entertaining and interesting in their own ways. Ed Harris put in a very respectable performance as the Reese's father, the recluse writer. Will Ferrel's character was very downplayed but effective, and here he simultaneously reinforces his ability to be a completely down key source of humor and proves to be effective at drama. The story is ultimately unimportant as it serves mostly as a backdrop for the four main characters - ultimately this is a depressing film full of depressing characters (heck, even the title is depressing), but I liked it and I'd probably recommend it.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]In "Winter Passing", Reese(Zooey Deschanel) is an aspiring actress doing the downtown art scene in New York City which includes drugs and the occasional one night stand. The only times she can feel anything is when she slams her hand in a drawer. She… More
[font=Century Gothic]In "Winter Passing", Reese(Zooey Deschanel) is an aspiring actress doing the downtown art scene in New York City which includes drugs and the occasional one night stand. The only times she can feel anything is when she slams her hand in a drawer. She is also the daughter of famous novelists, her mother having just died. A funeral she did not attend. She has not seen her father(Ed Harris) in five years. An editor, Lori Lansky(Amy Madigan), offers her $100,000 for her mother's letters which are legally hers and physically at her father's home in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. At first, she declines but then accepts after her cat becomes fatally ill. When Reese arrives at her father's home, she finds her father living out in the garage with his grief. Two assistants now occupy the house - a musical handyman, Corbit(Will Ferrell) and Shelly(Amelia Warner), one of the author's former students.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"Winter Passing" is a simple story with heart about family and the need to be loved. It is buoyed by good performances especially Zooey Deschanel in her first starring role. And Will Ferrell underplays nicely while still being funny.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font]
Panta O

Zooey Deschanel is amazing in this role as Reese Holden... The director Adam Rapp charts the shaky reunion of an estranged father and daughter. The daughter has been promised $100,000 for publication of love letters written by her legendary, but reclusive father and her mother. In… More
Zooey Deschanel is amazing in this role as Reese Holden... The director Adam Rapp charts the shaky reunion of an estranged father and daughter. The daughter has been promised $100,000 for publication of love letters written by her legendary, but reclusive father and her mother. In search of these letters, Reese finds the importance of the family. Very interesting movie which I'll recomend on a DVD.
Joseph E

I can say it is Definetly a Rapp film and Deftly original, yet it is strangely absurd and dumbfounded to a t. I was so dissapointed by Ferrell's acting(a little to over the top), Ed Harriss was freakishly fun, yet Deschanel was uncanningly perfect. When I think of Winter's… More
I can say it is Definetly a Rapp film and Deftly original, yet it is strangely absurd and dumbfounded to a t. I was so dissapointed by Ferrell's acting(a little to over the top), Ed Harriss was freakishly fun, yet Deschanel was uncanningly perfect. When I think of Winter's Passing, I think of one of the most offbeat, yet thourghouly engaging films of all time. It is also a family dramadey that is not at all unhinged by it's deftly(in this case Deathly) morbid, if unrelenting humor, or it's realism. For me this location(somewhere in Michigan or Winsconson) is a big part of the film. It sets the tome and attitue for the whole movie. I'm sure we have all moved our whole bed outside and slept in the backyard atleast once, or if not, you might soon try it just for theheck of it(maybe even move in the garage?) Winter's Passing has a very BIG askewness to it. It really is very adacious and bold, and also a very obligue comey. It doesn't take it's self to seriously, and Zooey Deschanal really made her roleinto a love her or her hate, can't live without her kind of character. Ed Harris..wait a second that was Ed Harris? The same Ed Harris from Radio, The Truman Show, and The Rock? What a transformation! He was rather impressive in his role. He had more idiosyncratiesthen a man with oc, ad, an was taking pcp.(yes wiered thatn that.) Will Ferral felt kind of stiff. His role seeme to be kind of not his kind of comey, but he wasn't too bad. He looked more funny, that he acted.(Okay,that was cruel, but the truth always hurt, I should know). Adam Rapp wrote and directed this film, and I am willing to bet he was drug-addled during one of those two processes. I think the writing. What do you think?
William G

Zooey mopes around. Harris mopes around. Ferrell mopes around. Repeat.
Chosen 7

Good film, some good performances.
Leo L

An interesting film!
Sarah P

Enjoyable dry-humor film. Will Ferrel is interesting.