Fizzles out in the third act, but we're long past caring. By then, Frances McDormand has usurped the movie and turned it into a lesson in character acting.
– Jeff Strickler,
Minneapolis Star Tribune,
24 Apr 2003
rotten:
Self-discovery seems to be the goal, but the revelations hardly seem worth the work.
– Bill Muller,
Arizona Republic,
18 Apr 2003
fresh:
McDormand is superb. Likewise Bale and Nivola.
– Carrie Rickey,
Philadelphia Inquirer,
17 Apr 2003
fresh:
If there is one reason to see Laurel Canyon, it's to witness McDormand in the kind of role she's long deserved.