Watching this yucky emotional drama is like being sprayed with treacle from a high-pressure hose.
1 Comment
11/23/07
August Rush (2007)
38
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:116
Fresh:44
Rotten:72
Average Rating:4.8/10
Consensus: Though featuring a talented cast, August Rush cannot overcome the flimsy direction and schmaltzy plot.
Theatrical Release:23-11-2007
Synopsis: AUGUST RUSH is part romance, part gentle fantasy, but this sweet drama is all heart. When young cellist Lyla (Keri Russell) and rock musician Louis (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) meet at a party in the mid... [More]
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Robin Williams, Keri Russell, Jonathan Rhys Meyers
Director: Kirsten Sheridan
Reviews for August Rush
Top CriticIf you can stomach an ultra- contrived plot with a ridiculously schmaltzy finale, August Rush will be music to your ears.
11/23/07
Unapologetically preposterous, but it is a (very sweet) fairy tale and Highmore is captivating.
11/21/07
Top CriticPassionate about the importance of music, August Rush is an ambitious family film that just about keeps its head above the rising waters of gushing sentimentality.
11/23/07
Top CriticYes, August Rush is cheesy, almost embarrassingly so, but it's also irrepressibly sweet.
11/23/07
Top CriticA show-stopping compendium of clichés, bogus emotions, duff dialogue and cringeworthy performances. Yet it’s so naively idiotic that it’s hard to hate. Better just to ignore it.
11/23/07
Top CriticThose who are prepared to forgive the film its stock characters and lack of emotional subtlety may allow themselves to be ravished -- by the sumptuous soundtrack, if nothing else.
10/26/07
Nauseating drama with poor direction, dodgy performances and a sappy, cliche-laden script.
11/29/07
Fans of soppy movies will probably love it, but everyone else should steer clear.
11/15/07
Packing every cliché, coincidence and contrivance known to man (well, Hollywood screenwriters) into one glossy, saccharine, syrupy package takes some doing; but Highmore’s open-faced charm makes Evan’s sappy story tolerable.
11/23/07
Uplifting and heart warming, this is a perfect date movie.
01/22/08
The film-makers ought to be reported to social services.
11/23/07
This inspirational drama gets three stars for oddity value alone.
11/22/07
Top CriticIntended as a fuzzy family fable, August plays more to the gag reflex than to the heart.
11/21/07
An aggressively bad movie. There are times when it tips the scales of absurdity and becomes almost comical.
11/21/07
"Someone in Hollywood must have it in for Thanksgiving. How else to explain the cruelly timed release of August Rush, a wretched confection that only the most determined will be able to count among their blessings?"
05/08/08
A fanciful fairytale blending elements of Oliver Twist, Ferris Bueller, Peter Pan and The School of Rock likely to entertain and enthrall preteens for a couple of hours.
11/19/07
August Rush kind of feels like a 2-hour coming attractions preview. Lots of fragmented stuff happens, without ever connecting the dots in between.
03/10/08
Even the final few moments, which should have us choking up, seemed hurried and shot from the wrong angles.
11/27/07
The excellent actors and good music make you think the movie will get better as it progresses, but it never does.
01/02/08
Latest News for August Rush
March 10, 2008:
RT on DVD: Call It, Friend-O -- No Country For Old Men Hits DVD
The critically-acclaimed, Oscar-winning No Country For Old Men comes to DVD this week, accompanied by a litany of fellow Fresh films (Lake of Fire, Summer Palace, Dan in Real... More...
December 13, 2007:
Fifty-Nine Songs Vying for Best Song Oscar Nominations
When they sit down on January 15th to determine the Best Song nominees for this year's Oscars, voting members of the Academy's Music Branch will have plenty of tunes to choose... More...
November 28, 2007:
A fanciful fairytale blending elements of Oliver Twist, Ferris Bueller, Peter Pan and The School of Rock, and likely to entertain and enthrall preteens for a couple of hours. 
More...
November 25, 2007:
Box Office Guru Wrapup: Enchanted Conjures Up $50M Thanksgiving Debut
The box office bounced back over the long Thanksgiving holiday weekend as moviegoers spread their dollars across a wide variety of films which collectively helped to bring the... More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
RT on YouTube
Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.
RT on Twitter
Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.
IGN RSS Feeds