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.
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To the Wonder
Drama · Romance · 2013
Neil is torn between two loves: Marina, the European woman who comes to the United States to be with him, and Jane, the old flame from his hometown he reconnects with. Neil’s doubts about his life and loves are reflected in the crisis of faith experienced by Father Quintana, who only sees pain and the loss of hope in the world.
Movie details
To the Wonder
2013 Drama · Romance 1h 52m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
5.8 / 10
Community rating
Neil is torn between two loves: Marina, the European woman who comes to the United States to be with him, and Jane, the old flame from his hometown he reconnects with. Neil’s doubts about his life and loves are reflected in the crisis of faith experienced by Father Quintana, who only sees pain and the loss of hope in the world.
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 To the Wonder?
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.
Feast of Love
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The Yellow Handkerchief
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Not Easily Broken
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A car accident and shifting affections test the bond between a married couple.
How to Make an American Quilt
Drama · 1995
Soon-to-be-wed graduate student Finn Dodd develops cold feet when she suspects her fiancé is cheating on her. In order to clear her head, Finn visits her grandmother, Hy, and great aunt, Glady Joe Cleary, in Grasse, Calif. There, Finn learns that Hy and Glady Joe are members of a group of passionate quilters, and over the course of her visit she is regaled with tales of love and life by women who have collected rich experiences and much wisdom.
When a Man Loves a Woman
Drama · 1994
An airline pilot and his wife are forced to face the consequences of her alcoholism when her addictions threaten her life and their daughter's safety. While the woman enters detox, her husband must face the truth of his enabling behavior.
The Lost Husband
Drama · 2020
Trying to put her life back together after the death of her husband, Libby and her children move to her estranged Aunt's goat farm in central Texas.
Love Story
Romance · 1970
Harvard Law student Oliver Barrett IV and music student Jennifer Cavilleri share a chemistry they cannot deny - and a love they cannot ignore. Despite their opposite backgrounds, the young couple put their hearts on the line for each other. When they marry, Oliver's wealthy father threatens to disown him. Jenny tries to reconcile the Barrett men, but to no avail.
Ordinary Love
Drama · 2019
An extraordinary look at the lives of a middle-aged couple in the midst of the wife's breast cancer diagnosis.
Elena Undone
Drama · 2010
The wife of a pastor who preaches against homosexuality embarks on an affair with a female writer.
The Fugitive Kind
Romance · 1960
Val Xavier, a drifter of obscure origins, arrives at a small town and gets a job in a store run by Lady Torrence. Her husband, Jabe M. Torrance, is dying of cancer. Val is pursued by Carol Cutere, the enigmatic local tramp-of-good-family.
Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
Terrence Malick
Written by
Terrence Malick
Ben Affleck
Neil
Olga Kurylenko
Marina
Rachel McAdams
Jane
Javier Bardem
Father Quintana
Tatiana Chiline
Tatiana
Romina Mondello
Anna
T
Tony O'Gans
Sexton
Court is in session
Put To the Wonder 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.