52
Metascore
16 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 67The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayContrivances aside, though, Janie Jones is one of the more realistic depictions of what the rock 'n' roll lifestyle is really like.
- 60The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenIt feels mostly authentic until a contrived ending that leaves a saccharine taste.
- 50The Hollywood ReporterRay BennettThe Hollywood ReporterRay BennettAn earnest tale about a faded rock star who discovers he has a teenaged daughter and takes her on the road, Janie Jones follows a predictable path and despite decent performances it does not catch fire.
- 50VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyThere's never any doubt where the picture is headed. If it finally achieves a modicum of poignancy, the impact surely would have been greater if the whole felt fresher.
- 50Slant MagazineSlant MagazineFirst thing to get out of the way: No, David M. Rosenthal's third feature, Janie Jones, has nothing to do with the famous song by the same name that opens the Clash's self-titled 1977 debut album. Perhaps that might have made this film far more interesting film it is.
- 40Time OutJoshua RothkopfTime OutJoshua RothkopfThe predictability is crushing, and with movies like "Crazy Heart" and Sofia Coppola's distinctly personal "Somewhere" so close in the rearview, David M. Rosenthal's estrangement drama feels especially soft.
- 40Village VoiceMelissa AndersonVillage VoiceMelissa AndersonNivola and Breslin sing and perform the original numbers, welcome interludes that provide respite from Rosenthal's lousy script.
- 40New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierNew York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierWriter-director David M. Rosenthal fills this dewy road-trip movie with too many cliches. From the glimpses we get of Shue's character, that may have been a more rockin' story.