Mutual Appreciation
| Mutual Appreciation | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Andrew Bujalski |
| Written by | Andrew Bujalski |
| Produced by | Ethan Vogt Morgan Faust Dia Sokol |
| Starring | Justin Rice Rachel Clift Seung-Min Lee Andrew Bujalski |
| Cinematography | Matthias Grunsky |
| Edited by | Andrew Bujalski |
| Music by | Justin Rice Kevin Micka Bishop Allen Omzo Matt & Mossy The Common Cold Brandon Patton |
| Distributed by | Goodbye Cruel Releasing |
Release date |
|
Running time | 110 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Mutual Appreciation is a 2005 independent film by Andrew Bujalski who previously directed Funny Ha Ha (2002). The script is primarily dialogue between a group of young people as they try to determine where they fit in the world. It is considered part of the mumblecore movement.
Plot
[edit]![[icon]](/wiki/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg?lang=en){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (October 2025) |
The principal characters are Lawrence, Ellie, Alan and Sara. Lawrence, a teaching assistant, and Ellie have been together for about a year. Lawrence loves Ellie, and she outwardly reciprocates while masking her doubts about their relationship. Sara is a radio disc jockey. She meets Alan, a former member of a band called The Bumblebees, at the radio station and invites him to her apartment.
Cast
[edit]- Justin Rice — Alan
- Rachel Clift — Ellie
- Andrew Bujalski — Lawrence
- Seung-Min Lee — Sara
- Kevin Micka — Dennis
- Bill Morrison — Walter
- Pamela Corkey — Patricia
- Mary Varn — Rebecca
- Kate Dollenmayer — Hildy
- Keith Gessen — Julian
Production
[edit]Shot in black-and-white, the film stars Justin Rice of the indie rock band Bishop Allen and features music from the band's debut album Charm School.[1][better source needed] Andrew Bujalski's previous film Funny Ha Ha starred Christian Rudder, also of Bishop Allen.[2]
Reception
[edit]On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 87% based on 54 reviews, and an average rating of 7.7/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Director Bujalski continues to give cinematic voice to awkward, literate twentysomethings with noteworthy smarts and tenderness."[3] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 84 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[4]
References
[edit]- ^ Mutual Appreciation (2005) - Soundtracks - IMDb. Retrieved 2025-10-03 – via www.imdb.com.
- ^ Meaney, Jake (2007-03-15). "Mutual Appreciation (2005) » PopMatters". www.popmatters.com. Retrieved 2025-10-03.
- ^ "Mutual Appreciation (2006)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
- ^ "Mutual Appreciation Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved March 20, 2018.
External links
[edit]- Mutual Appreciation Site
- UK Site
- Manohla Dargis' review in The New York Times
- Mutual Appreciation at IMDb
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- 2005 films
- American romantic comedy-drama films
- 2005 romantic comedy-drama films
- American independent films
- American black-and-white films
- Films set in Brooklyn
- 2005 independent films
- Mumblecore films
- 2000s English-language films
- 2000s American films
- English-language romantic comedy-drama films
- English-language independent films
- 2000s comedy-drama film stubs
- 2000s American film stubs