A cliched, sentimental, empty experience

Rating: Null/10 (25 June 2001)

Sometimes I think I'm living on another planet to rest of the movie going public! How this mediocre piece of rubbish earned ANY praise, let alone an Oscar is truly beyond me. I sat through this movie with its predictable by-the-numbers plot and cliched characters (the misunderstood genius from the wrong side of the tracks, the wounded 'teacher' who gets healed from his 'pupil', the rich girl who is REALLY NICE when you get to know her and loves the poor boy for HIMSELF) and had to stop myself from laughing out loud at the ridiculousness of it! This is supposed to be a GREAT MOVIE??! Get a grip people!
Van Sant what happened to you?? I can't believe all the promise you showed with Drugstore Cowboy and My Own Private Idaho (both ten times better than this). Now we have Good Will Hunting and the AWFUL, pointless remake of Psycho. I shake my head in disbelief.
Only positive thing I can say is there are a few lovely Elliot Smith songs on the soundtrack. Buy one of his albums and avoid this movie at all costs.