Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

Boobirt Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Thehibikiew Not even bad in a good way

Leoni Haney Yes, absolutely, there is fun to be had, as well as many, many things to go boom, all amid an atmospheric urban jungle.

Michael Neumann The depth and complexity of Barry Levinson's tribute to America's Golden Age can be summed up by granddad Armin Mueller-Stahl's words of wisdom to the younger generation: "if you stop remembering, you forget". The writer director himself seems to have forgotten how memory is always prone to sentimental distortion, and his long, loving portrait of a family in transition (ostensibly Levinson's own extended family) plays like a lazy daydream of paradise lost. It's a far richer film than the first two chapters of his Baltimore trilogy, with a screenplay spanning three generations and most of the 20th century, but the dramatic scope comes at the expense of detail, and Levinson's explanation for the post-war decline of the American family is thus never able to reach beyond the most obvious culprits: television and suburban malaise. With help from an excellent ensemble cast the film is finally able to achieve the bittersweet mood it strives for, but only after burying some genuine emotion underneath too many visual flourishes and a lot of distracting big budget gloss.

evanston_dad Typical Barry Levinson, which means safe, tasteful, lacklustre and fairly dull.An episodic journey across several generations of an immigrant family seeking the American dream. There's lots of syrupy music meant to invoke a vague nostalgia. There are any number of shots clearly intended to impress us with their iconic imagery (like the one shown on the film's poster). It's certainly a quality film, but not one for which I can muster up much enthusiasm.I must not be the target audience for Barry Levinson movies, because I feel the same way about all of them.Grade: B

futures-1 "Avalon": I don't put a film into my TOP category with ease. I take it very seriously. Each time I see "Avalon" by Barry Levinson, I appreciate it, and him, more. This film has depth, humor, complexity, subtlety, sadness, resignation, joy… It is Family. For better and for worse, Family. The passage of Time, the scars we Inherit, Create, Share. Moments and Memories - precious commodities. A beautiful film that looks at five generations of Family, over a 60+ year span. It's a totally emotional film. The layers are always present. We see this family through the eyes of everyone, which is quite a feat. You get to know everyone. You see their point, then you see someone else's point, then you see what is happening and what may not be repaired. On it goes. And it makes you want to hold your family a little closer, and work a little harder at making it the center of Life, even when it seems impossible.

baleview I just saw the movie in its entirety for the first time. I've caught glimpses of it over the years, but did not get a change to watch it to the end. I was touched by it. I think a lot of people found it boring because they either, did not come from a family of recent immigrants, or have become Americanized to the point of dispising the traditions portrayed in this movie. I myself, am a first generation Amercican. Having seen this movie, I have grown to appreciate what my family has been through in this country. The last scene with Sam in the nursing home was so sad. It makes you think, what a way to end your life? Fortunately, I looked at it more positively after some thought. It made me appreciate all family members, see how grudges can destroy relationships, and value what my grandparents have dome for their family (they are probably sitting all alone now; I am going to call them).