Snow Falling on Cedars 1999

Critics score:
40 / 100

Reviews provided by RottenTomatoes

Roger Ebert, At the Movies: Reveals itself with the complexity of a novel, holding its themes up to the light so that first one and then another aspect can be seen. Read more

Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle: The actors are valiant, but not bulletproof against the screenplay's almost obsessive romanticism. Read more

Susan Stark, Detroit News: Snow Falling on Cedars makes its most powerful impression in totally silent stretches. Read more

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: Snow Falling on Cedars is very rarely dull, very often poetic. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: Dramatically inert. Read more

Steve Murray, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Pretty but chilly. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: Snow Falling on Cedars has to fight to hold our attention and it doesn't always succeed. Read more

Paul Clinton (CNN.com), CNN.com: A visual and emotional feast. Read more

Lisa Schwarzbaum, Entertainment Weekly: Exceedingly blurred rendering of a simply told, artful novel. Read more

Globe and Mail: Read more

Jami Bernard, New York Daily News: Prettily photographed yet morbidly gloomy. Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Snow Falling on Cedars is a motion picture of great thematic and visual richness. Read more

Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle: Plodding and self-serious. Read more

Derek Adams, Time Out: Read more

Todd McCarthy, Variety: Impeccably crafted but dramatically dull. Read more

Lisa Nesselson, Variety: Read more

Dennis Lim, Village Voice: Scott Hicks's loud, bustling direction ensures there's no shortage of activity in his adaptation of Snow Falling on Cedars, but the inertia at the core of the movie is unmistakable. Read more

Desson Thomson, Washington Post: Casting Hawke as Ishmael Chambers in a mediocre movie version of Snow Falling on Cedars is pretty much the kiss of death. Read more