62
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75Chicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertChicago Sun-TimesRoger EbertThe entire film centers on the remarkable performance by Natasha Richardson as Hearst. She convinces us she is Hearst, not by pressing the point, but by taking it for granted.
- 70Los Angeles TimesMichael WilmingtonLos Angeles TimesMichael WilmingtonOddly enough, it's as black comedy and social history, far more than thriller or human drama, that Patty Hearst works best.
- 70The New York TimesVincent CanbyThe New York TimesVincent CanbyPatty Hearst is a model of swift, spare, unsentimental film making about a character who can never be known, as most fictional characters are, and about a specific time and circumstances that, with hindsight, seem incredible.
- 70The New YorkerRichard BrodyThe New YorkerRichard BrodyWithout sacrificing his critical judgment, Schrader retains a remarkable sympathy both for Hearst and for those who wrenched her from her life and made her—even if in deed only—one of their own.
- 60EmpireNick de SemlyenEmpireNick de SemlyenPaul Schrader's intense drama pulls out all the stops.
- 50Time OutTime OutRichardson brings terrific dedication to the role including a perfect American accent, but it's an airless, exhausting film.
- 50TV Guide MagazineTV Guide MagazineThe cast is quite good. Richardson is so compelling as Hearst that she manages to transcend the mishandled material and create a character that's much more real and stimulating than one might otherwise have imagined.
- 50Chicago TribuneDave KehrChicago TribuneDave KehrThe enigma not only remains, but, cloaked in Schrader`s mysticism, seems more impenetrable than ever.
- 50Washington PostHal HinsonWashington PostHal HinsonThough the movie suggests that Hearst was brainwashed -- or at least coerced through fear to act as she did -- it maintains a safe distance from any definitive position. In the end, we have not come any closer to an understanding of Patty Hearst. But ambiguity, in this case, isn't an indication of complexity; it's a refuge. It's an admission of failure.