Any Day Now 2012

Stephen Holden, New York Times: An outraged, unblinking depiction of institutionalized homophobia three decades ago, when the prevailing court opinion in adoption cases was that exposing a child to a homosexual environment was harmful. Read more

Moira MacDonald, Seattle Times: Alan Cumming has never been nominated for an Oscar, but director Travis Fine's powerful, fact-based movie could be the breakthrough role that makes it happen. Read more

Noel Murray, AV Club: Cumming and Dillahunt are so terrific-as is Isaac Leyva as their ward-that they pull Any Day Now up from its more maudlin and melodramatic elements. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Too much of "Any Day Now" founders in cliche and predictable table-turning and point-scoring instead of building a set of complicated characters at odds with a biased system. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: There's no denying the power of Cumming, Leyva and Dillahunt's performances, nor the tragedy and injustice of the situation. Read more

Cary Darling, Fort Worth Star-Telegram/DFW.com: Any Day Now, about a gay couple in '70s LA trying to adopt a boy with Down syndrome, has movie-of-the-week melodrama written all over it. But it rises above the saccharin thanks to strong performances. Read more

Frank Scheck, Hollywood Reporter: Depictions of custody battles have become a cinematic staple, but few register with the heartfelt emotion of Any Day Now. Read more

Betsy Sharkey, Los Angeles Times: Cumming is the linchpin, and the actor does an exceptional job of moving across the vast galaxy of universal emotions about partners and parenthood. He takes us to the heart of the matter in ways that matter most. Read more

John Anderson, Newsday: Generally abysmal. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: Gets its point across, and its sad drama. And it spotlights a marvelous performance by Alan Cumming. Read more

Ella Taylor, NPR: It would take a heart of stone - or zero tolerance for soap - to resist Any Day Now, a full-throttle weepie about a West Hollywood gay couple trying to adopt a neglected boy with Down syndrome. Read more

Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News: Director Travis Fine gives his period details flourish and lets Cumming and Dillahunt create well-rounded characters, but "Any Day Now" winds up treacly. Read more

Farran Smith Nehme, New York Post: Cumming is wonderful, and you know something? Trying a little understanding sure doesn't hurt. Read more

Carrie Rickey, Philadelphia Inquirer: The bare-bones script is fleshed out by Cumming and Dillahunt, who create characters that are as memorable as they are moving. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: The script seems almost religiously adverse to Hallmark-style melodrama. Read more

Claude Peck, Minneapolis Star Tribune: Switches between a few primary modes -- agenda-mentary, romance, courtroom drama, tearjerker -- without engaging very convincingly in any of them. Read more

Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch: The growing community of gay parents deserves a better reflection of their struggles than a kitschy "Kramer vs. Kramer." Read more

David Fear, Time Out: The intent is righteous. The dramatic overkill is deadly. Read more

Boyd van Hoeij, Variety: Acting from beneath the least flattering haircut this side of the Bee Gees, Cumming delivers what is possibly his best performance to date. Read more

Melissa Anderson, Village Voice: Straining for "teachable moments," the film has one noteworthy, unintentional function: to remind us that though LGBT rights are continually evolving, the laws of kitsch remain immutable. Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: The film is sometimes swamped by its own tears. Read more