The Next Best Thing 2000

Roger Ebert, At the Movies: Madonna never emerges as a plausible human being in the movie; she's more like a spokeswoman for a video on alternative parenting lifestyles. Read more

Susan Stark, Detroit News: It means to speak to raw, complex emotions, but it looks so ridiculously glossy you can never suspend disbelief. Read more

John Hartl, Seattle Times: John Schlesinger can't get a credible performance out of Madonna, he wastes Lynn Redgrave and Ileana Douglas, and he fails to locate the charm that Everett brought to Wedding. Read more

Philip Wuntch, Dallas Morning News: Terminally slow-moving. Read more

Stephen Holden, New York Times: The moment the movie loses its lighthearted spirit is the moment it loses touch with reality. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: It's almost impossible to believe that the director, John Schlesinger, was once the sure hand behind Midnight Cowboy. Did he do this one by telephone? Read more

Chris Garcia, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: A dreary little journey that starts as a cutesy sitcom and nosedives into leaden soap opera. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: Any room in that freezer for this inadequate, inauthentic, indigestible film? Read more

Jeff Millar, Houston Chronicle: It's sort of like two baseball teams going out to the parking lot to play the ninth inning of a tied ballgame, then coming back onto the field to announce the score. Read more

Paul Clinton (CNN.com), CNN.com: A pleasing but mindless diversion that goes down well with buttered popcorn and a large Coke. Read more

Steven Rosen, Denver Post: When one of an alleged romantic movie's principal actors is basically just reading lines, it doesn't do much for chemistry. Read more

Steve Daly, Entertainment Weekly: [Madonna] can barely muster even the rudiments of human expression. Read more

Globe and Mail: Read more

Peter Rainer, New York Magazine/Vulture: Read more

Andrew Sarris, New York Observer: Read more

James Berardinelli, ReelViews: Ultimately, the film works because Schlesinger handles the comedy-to-drama transition with skill. Read more

Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com: Madonna's charisma as a personality has never translated particularly well to the big screen. Read more

Edward Guthmann, San Francisco Chronicle: Read more

Time Out: Read more

Dennis Lim, Village Voice: Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: Two movies in one, and there's not enough breathing room for both of them. Read more