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.
Back to trending 
Starting Over
Comedy · Romance · 1979
After divorcing his ambitious singer wife, a middle-aged man begins a new relationship with a teacher.
Movie details
Starting Over
“Phil Potter would like to straighten out his life... One way, or the other.”
1979 Comedy · Romance 1h 45m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.4 / 10
Community rating
After divorcing his ambitious singer wife, a middle-aged man begins a new relationship with a teacher.
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 Starting Over?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe 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.
Butterflies Are Free
Comedy · 1972
Striving to be independent, the blind but determined Don Baker moves away from his overprotective mother. After settling into his new San Francisco digs, Don meets kooky neighbor Jill Tanner. Don's quick wit and good looks disarm the free-spirited Jill, and before long they're more than just friends. Will Mrs. Baker's incessant meddling destroy Don and Jill's budding relationship?
10
Comedy · 1979
A Hollywood songwriter goes through a mid-life crisis and becomes infatuated with a sexy blonde newlywed.
A Dogwalker's Christmas Tale
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Spoiled 21-year-old Luce Lockhart faces a tough decision when a handsome new friend asks her to help protect a dog park from her wealthy employer.
Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs
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Ricky Gervais: Mortality
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Ricky Gervais tackles life, death and the state of the world in a brutally honest special that spares no topic, even his own mortality.
Ricky Gervais Live: Animals
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Ricky Gervais entertains a live audience in his first stand-up routine.
Ricky Gervais: Armageddon
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Ricky Gervais dishes out controversial takes on political correctness and oversensitivity in a taboo-busting comedy special about the end of humanity.
Jimmy Carr: Natural Born Killer
Comedy · 2024
Jimmy Carr refutes the idea that you can't joke about anything these days with his edgy takes on gun control, religion, cancel culture and consent.
Poor Things
Sci-fi · 2023
Brought back to life by an unorthodox scientist, a young woman runs off with a lawyer on a whirlwind adventure across the continents. Free from the prejudices of her times, she grows steadfast in her purpose to stand for equality and liberation.
A Very Harold & Kumar Christmas
Comedy · 2011
Six years have elapsed since Guantanamo Bay, leaving Harold and Kumar estranged from one another with very different families, friends and lives. But when Kumar arrives on Harold's doorstep during the holiday season with a mysterious package in hand, he inadvertently burns down Harold's father-in-law's beloved Christmas tree. To fix the problem, Harold and Kumar embark on a mission through New York City to find the perfect Christmas tree, once again stumbling into trouble at every single turn.
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Alan J. Pakula
Written by
James L. Brooks
Burt Reynolds
Phil Potter
Jill Clayburgh
Marilyn Holmburg
Candice Bergen
Jessica Potter
Charles Durning
Michael "Mickey" Potter
Frances Sternhagen
Marva Potter
Austin Pendleton
Paul
Mary Kay Place
Marie
Court is in session
Put Starting Over on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.