Blue Valentine | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

87% Tomatometer 213 Reviews 77% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings

Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) live a quiet life in a modest neighborhood. To the casual observer, everything appears normal, if a bit subdued. But a closer examination reveals a couple caught in a downward spiral. They appear to have the world at their feet at the outset of the relationship. However, his lack of ambition and her retreat into self-absorption cause potentially irreversible cracks in their marriage.

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Blue Valentine

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Critics Consensus

This emotionally gripping examination of a marriage on the rocks isn't always easy to watch, but Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling give performances of unusual depth and power.

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Critics Reviews

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Blue Valentine | Rotten Tomatoes (1) David Ansen Newsweek See it for [Ryan] Gosling and [Michelle] Williams, but be advised: if you take a date, you'll be sorry. Feb 6, 2018 Full Review Blue Valentine | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Candice Frederick Reel Talk Online Williams's beautiful performance is played nicely off Gosling's remarkably vulnerable performance yielding a timeless portrayal of love, romance, agony and despair. Rated: A+ Sep 9, 2017 Full Review Blue Valentine | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Laura Kern Film Comment Magazine Unlike Bergman's searing Scenes from a Marriage, which sustains itself for every one of its 299 devastating minutes, Blue Valentine begins to falter somewhere during its 114. Jun 20, 2013 Full Review Blue Valentine | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Nadia Dalimonte Next Best Picture The concept of a troubled marriage might be familiar grounds, but the intimate storytelling of “Blue Valentine” feels personal to Cianfrance’s filmmaking style. Rated: 9/10 May 9, 2024 Full Review Blue Valentine | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Michael Leader Den of Geek Blue Valentine gently invites the viewer into their lives. Rated: 4/5 May 7, 2024 Full Review Blue Valentine | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson The story of Blue Valentine is fascinating, but a tough and tragic one to watch, nonetheless. It doesn't shy away from the depression, tension, and stress, anymore than it does the passion and attaction. Rated: 4/5 Feb 16, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member I could rewatch this movie forever. It’s the most honest depiction I’ve seen in film of how relationships can’t always be reconciled, even if there was a time when they felt perfect. Michelle Williams gives a beautiful portrayal of a woman who’s hoped for a lot and been disappointed. Rated 4.5/5 Stars • Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 10/05/24 Full Review Audience Member A movie that focuses on the downward spiral of a couple largely caused by disillusionment and incompatibility. An eye-opening, memorable, albeit slightly depressing, watch. Michelle Williams and Ryan Gosling played their characters very well and believably. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/28/24 Full Review Michael V A Love Story.Blue Valentine is a 2010 American romantic drama film written and directed by Derek Cianfrance 💙 Not bad, but not my favourite either 😐Meh, it passed the time. Just. 😐👍🏼👎🏼Dean and Cindy live a quiet life in a modest neighbourhood. They appear to have the world at their feet at the outset of the relationship. However, his lack of ambition and her retreat into self-absorption cause potentially irreversible cracks in their marriage. Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 07/22/24 Full Review Jeremy K This is a simply brilliant film that explores the nuances and pain of a disintegrating - yet loving - relationship with unbearable and unswerving honesty. Gosling and Williams are both superb, as is Faith Wladyka as their little girl. I haven't seen anything with this much pathos since Paris, Texas - and that was 40 years ago. An amazing achievement - it made believe again in the emotional power of cinema. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 07/14/24 Full Review Emilliano Jr S An instant classic. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 04/28/24 Full Review J M This is more an actor's showcase than a fully satisfying motion picture, but when your actors are Gosling and Williams, there's not a whole lot to complain about. Both are predictably excellent, and they are basically the center of the universe here, as there are no supporting characters given more than a scene or two and there is no plot to speak of whatsoever. This is basically a series of excerpts detailing the rise and fall of a marriage. There's not a lot of information given to explain the deterioration of their union, and maybe that's the point of the film - that sometimes people just fall apart. If you ever want to debate monogamy, use this film as Exhibit A. Thankfully the actors deliver brilliantly in a series of extended scenes that are sometimes almost too difficult to watch. So while not a wholly satisfying film, it's a pleasure to watch acting of this caliber. - Jeff Marshall, Movie Blogger (Facebook) Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/18/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Derek Cianfrance Director Ryan Gosling Dean Michelle Williams Cindy Faith Wladyka Frankie John Doman Jerry Heller Mike Vogel Bobby
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Synopsis Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) live a quiet life in a modest neighborhood. To the casual observer, everything appears normal, if a bit subdued. But a closer examination reveals a couple caught in a downward spiral. They appear to have the world at their feet at the outset of the relationship. However, his lack of ambition and her retreat into self-absorption cause potentially irreversible cracks in their marriage.

Director
Derek Cianfrance

Producer
Lynette Howell Taylor, Alex Orlovsky, Jamie Patricof

Screenwriter
Derek Cianfrance, Joey Curtis, Cami Delavigne

Distributor
Weinstein Co.

Production Co
Silverwood Films, Hunting Lane

Rating
R (Language|A Beating|Strong Graphic Sexual Content)

Genre
Drama, Romance

Original Language
English

Release Date (Theaters)
Dec 29, 2010, Limited

Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 1, 2017

Box Office (Gross USA)
$9.7M

Runtime
2h 0m
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