RottenTomatoes.com
Log In | Register | What is RT?
Found a Bug? Squash It! Report Bugs Here
  • Home
  • Movies
  • DVD
  • Celebrities
  • News
  • Critics
  • Trailers & Pictures
  • CommunityBeta
  • Box Office
  • | Best Of
  • | Certified Fresh
  • | Showtimes
RT Search Powered by Google
help icon Enhanced RT
searches on Google
Click here to turn on enhanced search results from RT on your Google searches.
 
Movies / On DVD / Raising Flagg
Raising Flagg

Rate this Movie Help Icon

  • Write a Review
  • Read Reviews
  • Add to List
  • Buy Poster External Icon
Bookmark and Share

Raising Flagg (2007)

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
23 %
Tomatometer
Template ImageTemplate Image

How does the Tomatometer work Help Icon

Reviews Counted:13

Fresh:3

Rotten:10

Average Rating:4.5/10

Runtime: 1 hr 42 mins

Genre: Comedies

Synopsis: Alan Arkin, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2007 for his role as the crusty old grandpa in LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, stars as another crusty character in RAISING FLAGG, a comedy directed by... Alan Arkin, who won a Best Supporting Actor Oscar in 2007 for his role as the crusty old grandpa in LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE, stars as another crusty character in RAISING FLAGG, a comedy directed by Neal Miller and written by Miller, his wife, Nancy, and Dorothy Velasco. Arkin plays Flagg Purdy, a handyman living in a small Oregon town with his wife, Ada (Barbara Dana, Arkin's real-life ex-wife), and their daughter Jenny (Stephanie Lemelin). All of their other children have grown up and moved away--as far from their father as possible. When Flagg gets into a heated dispute with his neighbor, Gus Falk (Austin Pendleton), over sheep messing with Flagg's water supply, the two end up in court, where Flagg triumphs by a technicality while losing favor with the community. With everyone against him, he collapses into bed, sure he is going to die. Soon his crazy family--including radio talk show host Ann Marie (Glenne Headly), real estate agent Rachel (Lauren Holly), and traveling minister Travis (Matthew Arkin, Alan's real-life son and Dana's stepson)--is gathered around him, causing more and more trouble and reopening old wounds. Based on the short story "Don't Cry for Me" by John D. Weaver, RAISING FLAGG is a follow-up (though not a sequel) to 1984's A MATTER OF PRINCIPLE, in which Arkin and Dana also played Flagg and Ada in a movie based on a Weaver story with a screenplay by Neal and Nancy Miller. In RAISING FLAGG, Arkin is a riot as Flagg, who refuses to bend in any direction, insisting he is always right and always treated unfairly despite all the evidence to the contrary. Neal Miller carefully carves out each member of the Purdy family, giving each one a unique relationship with the troubled father. [More]

Starring: Alan Arkin, Lauren Holly, Glenne Headly, Daniel Quinn

Starring: Alan Arkin, Lauren Holly, Glenne Headly, Daniel Quinn, Matthew Arkin, Austin Pendleton, Barbara Dana, Richard Kind, Clifton James

Director: Neal Miller

Director: Neal Miller
Screenwriter: Neal Miller, Nancy Miller, Dorothy Velasco
Producer: Neal Miller, Nancy Miller
Composer: Alan Barcus, Les Hooper

[See More Credits]

Reviews for Raising Flagg

  • T-Meter Critics
  • Top Critics
  • RT Community
  • My Critics
  • My Friends
  • DVD
 
 
1 - 13 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Bubble View
Arrange By:Fresh | Rotten | Comments | Name | Source | Date
 
 
Reviews
Tomatometer Critic Review Category
splat

Andy Klein

Dana is really the heart of the movie, giving a subtle, low-key performance.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 12 2007 03:52 AM

Los Angeles CityBeat

splat
1.5/4

Sean Means

Miller's affection for the Purdys... and their rustic way of life can't compensate for the script's clunky pacing and occasional moralizing.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 05 2007 12:13 PM

Salt Lake Tribune

splat
2/4

Meg Jones

Crusty characters, a bluegrass soundtrack and a dysfunctional family that could exist only in the minds of Hollywood screenwriters make this film more precious than real -- or funny.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 04 2007 07:44 PM

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

splat
2/4

Jeff Vice

Alan Arkin has the enviable ability of making nearly everything he's in watchable. Sadly, Raising Flagg sorely tests that ability.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 04 2007 05:39 PM

Deseret News, Salt Lake City

splat

Stephen Farber

Most of the confrontations play out tepidly and predictably.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 01 2007 05:25 PM

Hollywood Reporter

splat

Evan Henerson

Feels like a TV movie.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 28 2007 03:14 PM

Los Angeles Daily News

tomato

James C. Taylor

Erich Roland’s HD cinematography is the only element of the film one can honestly enjoy.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Sep., 27 2007 12:16 PM

L.A. Weekly

splat

Frank Lovece

Has some fine moments for Alan Arkin and his ex-wife Barbara Dana, but its bloated inconsequentiality is simply head-shaking.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 12 2007 10:46 AM

Film Journal International

splat
C+

Lisa Schwarzbaum

Too bad the offscreen intrigue doesn't make up for what flags in Flagg.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 07 2007 04:37 PM

Entertainment Weekly

tomato
3/4

Jim Hemphill

Some of the characters' problems are wrapped up a bit too neatly, but the mild contrivances work because the principles are so endearing -- we want them to be happy, so when they are, it's satisfying, even if the happy moments aren't so honestly achieved.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 02 2007 03:04 PM

Reel.com

splat
C

Ted Murphy

The story is fairly slight and some of the characters are broadly drawn or not sketched at all.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Feb., 02 2007 07:22 AM

Murphy's Movie Reviews

splat
5/10

Ron Wilkinson

Alan Arkin tries, but fails, as the gold standard curmudgeon who never had it so good.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Jan., 31 2007 06:15 AM

Monsters and Critics

tomato
B-

M.E. Russell

It's slight stuff, with several conflicts settled off-screen, but it's not without its low-key charms.

Full Review Source: | comment Comment | Oct., 21 2005 05:51 PM

Oregonian

 
 
1 - 13 (sorted by date; UK critics are listed first)
Bubble View
See All

More DVDs

Top Rentals
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
14% 14% The Ugly Truth
98% 98% Up
36% 36% G.I. Joe: The Rise of …
52% 52% The Taking of Pelham 1…
45% 45% Ice Age: Dawn of the D…

More Rentals…

New On DVD This Week
Tomatometer Percentage Movie
36% 36% Angels & Demons
68% 68% Funny People
25% 25% Four Christmases
45% 45% Shorts

More New Releases…

What’s Hot On RT

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

Twilight Saga: Eclipse

5 facts straight from the cast.

Disney Animation

Disney Animation

We chart the studio's classics.

Avatar

Avatar

An exclusive look at the human hardware.

Eric Bana

Eric Bana

The Star Trek star talks cars with RT.

Other News

  • Top Stories
  • Popular
  • Interviews
 
 

Comments

 
 
Top Stories
Headlines Comments
  
  • Tobey Maguire Talks Brothers, Spider-Man 4 Source: Boston Globe
6
  • Nimród Antal Talks Predators Source: ComingSoon.net
2
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
78
  • First Look (Sort Of) at New Nightmare's Freddy Source: ShockTillYouDrop.com
24
  • First Look at Shrek Forever After Source: USA Today
48
  • Woody Harrelson Will Battle Zombies in 3-D Source: Moviehole
26
  • Natalie Portman Says Kat Denning Is in Thor Source: MTV
34
  • Disney Restructuring Has Broad Implications Source: Los Angeles Times
10
  • Joel Silver Talks Ninja Assassin, Sgt. Rock, Lobo, and More Source: Collider.com
1
  • Weekly Ketchup: Idris Elba cast in Thor, more Spider-Man 4 rumors
128
Popular
Headlines Comments
  
  • Friday Harvest: The Road, Avatar, and more!
95
  • Total Recall: John Travolta's Best Movies
93
  • Ban Them All! 10 Infamously Controversial Movies
87
  • 5 Facts About The Twilight Saga: Eclipse
76
  • Critics Consensus: Flee From Ninja Assassin
47
  • Weekly Ketchup: Zombieland 2 in 3D?
26
  • Five Favorite Films With Zombieland Director Ruben Fleischer
24
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
17
  • Box Office Guru Wrapup: Vampires and Football Break Thanksgiving Records
10
  • Duncan Jones Reteams With Kevin Spacey
4
Interviews
Headlines Comments
  
  • "I Don't Hate Women": Lars von Trier on Antichrist
16
  • Eric Bana talks Love the Beast - RT Interview
11
  • Fight Club Sound Designer Reflects on Film's 10th Anniversary
21
  • James Schamus talks Taking Woodstock - RT Interview
8
  • John Hurt Talks Harry Potter, Quentin Crisp and Alien - The RT Interview
15
  • Terry Gilliam Talks Doctor Parnassus
21
  • Wes Anderson Talks Fantastic Mr. Fox - RT Interview
8
  • Wolverine Creator Len Wein Talks About the Film
28
  • Gavin Hood Talks Wolverine; Possible Sequel
28
  • Duncan Jones talks Moon, Sam Rockwell, and Mute
14
 
 

Sponsored Links

Around The Network

  • Raising Flagg at Rotten Tomatoes

Fresh Links

Featured
RT on YouTube
RT on YouTube External Link

Subscribe to RT's YouTube channel and don't miss a second of our cracking video content.

RT on Twitter
RT on Twitter External Link

Follow Rotten Tomatoes and join us as we tweet about the week's releases.

 
 
About| Site Map| Help| RT To Go| Contact Us| Critics Submission| Linking to RT| Licensing| Movie List| Celebs List| Newsletter
IGN Logo

IGN.com | GameSpy | Comrade | Arena | FilePlanet | GameSpy Technology
TeamXbox | Planets | Vaults | VE3D | CheatsCodesGuides | GameStats | GamerMetrics
AskMen.com | Rotten Tomatoes | Direct2Drive | Green Pixels


By continuing past this page, and by the continued use of this site, you agree to be bound by and abide by the User Agreement.
Copyright 1998-2009, IGN Entertainment, Inc. About IGN | Support | Advertise | Privacy Policy | User Agreement | Subscribe to RT's XML feed! IGN RSS Feeds
IGN's enterprise databases running Oracle, SQL and MySQL are professionally monitored and managed by Pythian Remote DBA
Certain product data ©1995-present Muze, Inc. For personal use only. All rights reserved.