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Personal Effects

Personal Effects

Drama · TV Movie · 2009

Walter is a rising star in the NCAA wrestling world until his life is ripped apart by the brutal murder of his sister. Returning home to console his mother Gloria he seeks vengeance on the man who is accused of the crime. A chance meeting with a beautiful mature woman gives him solace to the situation. Will this unlikely pairing bloom into a romance and heal a wound the world cannot see or will the loss of his sister push him over the edge?

Movie details

Personal Effects

“The space between loss and love.”

2009 Drama · TV Movie 1h 50m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.0 / 10

Community rating

Walter is a rising star in the NCAA wrestling world until his life is ripped apart by the brutal murder of his sister. Returning home to console his mother Gloria he seeks vengeance on the man who is accused of the crime. A chance meeting with a beautiful mature woman gives him solace to the situation. Will this unlikely pairing bloom into a romance and heal a wound the world cannot see or will the loss of his sister push him over the edge?

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Personal Effects?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

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Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

David Hollander

Written by

David Hollander · Rick Moody

Michelle Pfeiffer

Michelle Pfeiffer

Linda

Ashton Kutcher

Ashton Kutcher

Walter

Kathy Bates

Kathy Bates

Gloria

S

Spencer Hudson

Clay

John Mann

John Mann

Hank

David James Lewis

David James Lewis

Bruce

Rob LaBelle

Rob LaBelle

Camden

Court is in session

Put Personal Effects on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Sentimental Softie

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Adrenaline Seeker

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.