Set in 1951, a blacklisted Hollywood writer gets into a car accident, loses his memory and settles down in a small town where he is mistaken for a long-lost son.
Mr. Carrey may go to both Washington and a version of Bedford Falls in The Majestic, but he is neither the Jefferson Smith nor George Bailey of Stewart's best-loved films.
– Peter Howell,
Toronto Star,
21 Dec 2001
rotten:
It can't fake sincerity. It tries ever so hard, but it doesn't have a single believable second.
– Stephen Hunter,
Washington Post,
21 Dec 2001
rotten:
Darabont and screenwriter Michael Sloane's misty-eyed tribute may be pleasant in places, but it's too manufactured and deliberate to be persuasive.
– Desson Thomson,
Washington Post,
21 Dec 2001
rotten:
Marks a steep downturn in Jim Carrey's career.
– J. Hoberman,
Village Voice,
25 Dec 2001
fresh:
Carrey gets the best role of his own career -- and plays it with tenderness, valor, bravery and deeply moving conviction. I find him positively captivating.