Gerwig is a modest (like everything in Mumblecore) revelation in the role, with a lithe, teasing sexuality and a vibrant personality that seems to be darting off in as many directions as her tousled blonde hair.
Comment
09/27/07
Hannah Takes the Stairs (2007)
58
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:45
Fresh:26
Rotten:19
Average Rating:5.8/10
Consensus: Although not terribly focused, Hannah Takes the Stairs contains refreshing realism.
Reviews for Hannah Takes the Stairs
Looks like it should be on an Off Off Off Broadway play in the Village...
09/15/07
Gerwig proves herself to be a charming screen presence who manages to make her character somehow appealing despite her utter self-involvement.
09/14/07
Top CriticHannah is charmingly self-absorbed without the extenuating circumstance of self-knowledge. Above all, she's young. The movie forgives her for that and, with occasional misgivings, so do we.
09/07/07
Hannah (Greta Gerwig), the peroxided heroine, leaps from one hookup to the next, but is she searching for passion or just treading water? In the new generational film movement that's been dubbed 'Mumblecore,' it's often hard to tell the difference.
09/05/07
Swanberg is accurately charting the social rituals of the young and inarticulate.
08/25/07
Note to anyone who stumbles into this snoozefest: forget about taking the stairs—head straight for the nearest exit.
08/24/07
Gerwig actually gives her insufferable character some verve -- the actress has potential -- but the remainder of the movie is a slice of life that doesn't much show much life.
08/24/07
The fumbling banalities spouted by the characters belie the prior achievements of the actors making them up.
08/23/07
[Actor] Gerwig [turns] her terminally anxious character into a poster girl for an entire subset of young women on the verge. Every generation gets the Darling they deserve. We now have ours.
08/23/07
Joe Swanberg’s charming comedy Hannah Takes the Stairs marks the Chicago-based filmmaker’s third feature, but his first to land theatrical distribution.
08/22/07
The loose, rambling conversations that substitute for action might be more interesting if any of the characters were capable of real introspection.
08/22/07
How can a movie with such a charming cast and believable dialogue (seemingly taken from the actors' real lives) go wrong? It can't.
08/22/07
Hannah Takes the Stairs is notable for what the movie represents: an evolutionary entry in the Do It Yourself (or D.I.Y.) independent film movement.
08/22/07
Top CriticThis do-it-your effort, shot in HD, would be nothing without hazel-eyed Greta Gerwig as Hannah, Meg Ryan-cute with a tousled Jean Seberg hairdo.
08/21/07
Gerwig's talents might be better displayed in some form of scripted or structured film rather than this erratic warts 'n' all waste of time.
08/21/07
It’s impossible to predict how the Mumblecorps will mature but, given their immersion in the moment, I suspect that the films they’ve made will age very well.
08/21/07
At what cost, naturalism?
08/15/07
The unexpected appeal of this seeming non-story is cumulative; what begins as a maddening portrait of a microcosm of liberal, well-educated white kids (with the occasional ethnic friend) steadily grows on you.
07/29/07
The result is a mesh of creative sensibilities that never quite congeals.
06/25/07
Latest News for Hannah Takes the Stairs
April 21, 2008:
RT on DVD: Cloverfield, Charlie Wilson and 2008's Worst-Reviewed Film
It's a bird! It's a plane! It's a Slusho, whatever that is! Cloverfield stomps its way onto DVD as not only the most exciting new release of the week, but the one most... More...
August 23, 2007:
Critical Consensus: Champ Is No Chump; Nanny Is Dire, Bean is No Holiday, Dawn Needs Rescue
This week at the multiplex, you'll have your choice between babysitters (The Nanny Diaries, starring Scarlett Johansson and Laura Linney) manchilds (Mr. Bean's Holiday, starring... More...
August 22, 2007:
RTIndie: IFC Beefs Up On-Demand
This week at RTIndie: IFC brings indies to the people; Seth Gordon capitalizes on the success of The King of Kong; anime classic Grave of the Fireflies gets the remake... More...
August 21, 2007:
RT Talks With Hannah Takes the Stairs' Joe Swanberg
Joe Swanberg is a busy man. Since 2005, he's completed three films (Kissing on the Mouth, LOL, and Hannah Takes the Stairs), is finishing up his fourth, has helmed two seasons... 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