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"View from the Top" stars Gwyneth Paltrow in a sweet and sort of innocent story about a small-town girl who knows life holds more for her, and how a job as a flight attendant becomes her escape route. Along the way she meets friends who help her and friends who double-cross her, a guy who dumps her, and a guy she dumps. And she finds love. What more do you want from a movie? I confess I expected something else. Flight attendants have been asking me for weeks about this movie, which they are in a lather to see. It may be closer to their real lives than they expect. I anticipated an updated version of Coffee, Tea or Me? but what I got instead was Donna the Flight Attendant . The movie reminded me of career books I read in the seventh grade with titles like Bob Durham, Boy Radio Announcer . It's a little more sophisticated, of course, but it has the same good heart, and a teenager thinking of a career in the air might really enjoy it.

So did I, in an uncomplicated way. Paltrow is lovable in the right roles, and here she's joined by two others who are sunny on the screen: Candice Bergen , as the best-selling flight attendant who becomes her mentor, and Mark Ruffalo (from " You Can Count on Me ") as the law student who wants to marry her. The movie knows a secret; most careers do not involve clawing your way to the top, but depend on the kindness of the strangers you meet along the way, who help you just because they feel like it.

We meet Donna (Paltrow) as the daughter of a much-married former exotic dancer from Silver Springs, Nev. She seems doomed to life working at the mall until she sees a TV interview with the best-selling Bergen, whose book inspires Donna to train as a flight attendant. Her first stop is a puddle-jumper named Sierra Airlines, which flies mostly to and from Fresno, but then she enrolls in training at Royalty Airlines, where the instructor ( Mike Myers ) is bitter because his crossed eye kept him from flying. Myers finds a delicate balance between lampoon and poignancy--and that's some balance.

Ruffalo plays the sometime law student who comes into her life in Nevada and then again in Cleveland, where she's assigned not to Royalty's transatlantic routes but to the discount Royalty Express. Her first flight is comic (she runs down the aisle screaming "We're gonna crash!") and then we follow her through intrigues and romantic episodes that lead to a lonely Christmas in Paris when she decides life still has to offer more than this.

The movie, directed by Bruno Barreto and written by Eric Wald , is surprising for what it doesn't contain: No scenes involving mile-high clubs, lecherous businessmen or randy pilots, but the sincere story of a woman who finds her career is almost but not quite enough. Adult audiences may be underwhelmed. Not younger teenage girls, who will be completely fascinated.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

View from the Top (2003)

Rated PG-13 For Language/Sexual References

Gwyneth Paltrow as Donna

Mark Ruffalo as Ted

Christina Applegate as Christine

Mike Myers as John Whitney

Candice Bergen as Sally

Kelly Preston as Sherry

Rob Lowe as Co-Pilot Steve

Directed by

• Bruno Barreto

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View From the Top Reviews

View for the Top is one of those movies I saw years ago and, every now and then, I sit back and wonder, "Wait a minute - did that really happen?"

Full Review | Aug 30, 2021

What was Gwyneth Paltrow thinking?

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 29, 2010

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Aug 7, 2008

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 30, 2006

Too sweet to be truly funny and too over-the-top to be truly charming.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Oct 29, 2006

Full Review | Original Score: 2/5 | Dec 6, 2005

Miss Paltrow? We're gonna need that Oscar back.

Full Review | Jul 16, 2004

[A]n airy bit of fluff, a soap bubble of a movie.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Jan 4, 2004

Teeters on the edge of lightweight, bland fare more associated with what's on airline menus. But the cast adds flavor and energy to the otherwise unremarkable itinerary.

Full Review | Sep 14, 2003

Not even cameos by Rob Lowe as a copilot, Chad Everett as Sally's Weston's husband, or George Kennedy as an airline passenger can rev up this plummeting plane wreck.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/10 | Sep 11, 2003

A flat, superficial comedy that never establishes a tone.

Full Review | Sep 3, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | Aug 12, 2003

O filme pode at no ser uma obra-de-arte, mas est longe de ser o desastre que muitos anunciaram. Ao menos, ele diverte.

Full Review | Original Score: 3/5 | Aug 9, 2003

It's a pity...that such a first-class cast is forced to fly economy in this aimless exercise that never knows its destination.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/5 | Aug 3, 2003

It aggressively browbeats you into enjoying it while it's on, even if it's the sort of movie that evaporates from memory once the lights come up.

Full Review | Original Score: 2/4 | Jun 27, 2003

If you're looking to spend a couple of hours in first class, View from the Top is definitely not the ticket.

Full Review | Jun 4, 2003

The Christina Applegate renaissance is in serious jeopardy.

Full Review | Original Score: 1/5 | May 28, 2003

Full Review | Original Score: 1/4 | May 14, 2003

Paltrow cannot begin to save this unfunny flight attendant comedy that should have gone direct to video.

Full Review | Original Score: D | Apr 27, 2003

The experience of watching this movie is a lot like commercial air travel: the flight attendants try to make your experience as pleasant as possible, but it's still a long, dull ride in a small seat.

Full Review | Original Score: 1.5/4 | Apr 25, 2003

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View from the top, common sense media reviewers.

What was Gwyneth Paltrow thinking?

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Sexual references.

Some strong language.

Characters drink and smoke.

Parents need to know that this movie has some strong language and sexual references. A character gives the finger. There is a reference to circumcision and there are jokes about a character's "talent" for hickeys.

Violence & Scariness

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that this movie has some strong language and sexual references. A character gives the finger. There is a reference to circumcision and there are jokes about a character's "talent" for hickeys. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

Where to Watch

Community reviews.

• Parents say (1)

Based on 1 parent review

Small City Girl Follows Her Dreams

What's the story.

VIEW FROM THE TOP stars Gwenyth Paltrow as Donna, the daughter of a much-married former showgirl who lives in a small town in Nevada. She dreams of a bigger world, and is looking forward to moving to Tucson with her boyfriend. But he breaks up with her in a birthday card (he explains that they don't sell breaking up cards). She thinks she will be stuck there forever until she sees Sally Watson (Candice Bergen), the most famous flight attendant in the world, on television. Now Donna's dream has direction. She gets a job as a flight attendant on a commuter airline for gamblers. But she wants more -- she wants to do first class on international flights, like Sally. So she applies to Royal Airlines, and her life changes forever.

Is It Any Good?

It's hard to imagine what attracted such a high-powered cast to this forgettable little movie about a small-town girl with a dream. It's almost a tribute to the movies we like to think of as being from a simpler era, but there is no ironic distance and no attempt to re-invent the genre for another era. It's like an episode of That Girl . Will there be setbacks for Donna to be plucky about? Will there be a dreamboat to make it hard to take that job when it does come through? Will there be comic relief in the form of a quippy gay guy and a teacher with high standards and an eye problem? Oh, so you've seen this movie before? Me, too.

This is a cotton candy movie, and it melts away into sticky nothing almost before you can taste the sugar. There are some mildly funny moments and the performances are fine, but they don't make up for its lack of anything particularly engaging in its characters or story. The coming attraction has all the best moments and the credit sequence outtakes have more vitality than the rest of the movie.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about how Donna came to believe that she was capable of more than she had been told. How can families help their members believe in themselves and their dreams?

Movie Details

• In theaters : March 21, 2003
• On DVD or streaming : September 9, 2003
• Cast : Candice Bergen , Christina Applegate , Gwyneth Paltrow
• Director : Bruno Barreto
• Inclusion Information : Latino directors, Female actors
• Studio : Miramax
• Genre : Comedy
• Run time : 87 minutes
• MPAA rating : PG-13
• MPAA explanation : language/sexual references
• Last updated : June 21, 2023

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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• DVD & Streaming

View From the Top

Content caution.

In Theaters

• Gwyneth Paltrow as Donna; Mike Myers as John; Christina Applegate as Christine; Kelly Preston as Sherry; Candice Bergen as Sally; Mark Ruffalo as Ted

Home Release Date

• Bruno Barreto

Distributor

• Miramax Films

Movie Review

The story is about an aspiring flight attendant. But when exactly does it take place? That was the only question occupying space in my battered brain after sitting through this 90-minute slice of comedic drivel (an hour and a half that seemed to take all afternoon). I wasn’t basking in the warmth of onscreen love finally found. I wasn’t inspired by a lonely girl’s protracted journey to fly the friendly skies. I just wanted to know when it happened. Early clues such as Madonna-inspired wardrobe selections, obtrusive placements of a Rubik’s Cube and Bon Jovi tunes jamming on the radio scream 1986. But the 1960s-style (orange) airline uniforms say Gwyneth Paltrow’s Donna came of age 20 years earlier. Then, without so much as a Back to the Future fare-thee-well, it’s 2001. Paris boasts its millennium ferris wheel, but Donna’s no more than a month or two older. Only her hairstyle and clothes have changed. It’s as if the filmmakers somehow forgot that they shot the first half of their movie on the set of Flashdance before moving across town to elbow aside the cast members of Friends for a glimpse of present-tense New York.

And that’s just one of the sedately paced View From the Top ’s many flaws.

Donna is a small-town Nevada girl who can’t seem to break away from her “trailer-trash” past (director Bruno Barreto adds sexy and sleazy to the mix, then milks this stereotype for all it’s worth). Longing to see the world, Donna gets a job as a stewardess (that’s what she’s called in the movie, another clue to the script’s time less floundering) at a Podunk commuter airline. From there, she secures a slot at top-drawer carrier Royalty Airlines’ training school, where she submits to the quasi-quirky tutelage of the resident lazy-eyed instructor, John (Mike Myers in what may be his dumbest and most humorless role yet). Cheated out of her rightful place as an ace newbie, she’s shunted to Cleveland to baby-sit a commuter route. Not exactly New York to Paris. Cleveland brings with it love, however, as she falls for, then moves in with, the man of her dreams, Ted. Shortly thereafter, her stellar test scores are resurrected and she’s offered “Paris/First Class/International.” So it’s bye-bye lover boy, hello bright lights and long nights. But will Donna be happy now that her life’s ambition is securely strapped into the jump seat beside her? Are you kidding?

positive elements: Silly though it may be in this setting, there’s a strong message sent that teens can do anything they want with their lives if they apply themselves and strive to always do their best. A mentor tells Donna, “You can have everything you want to if you stay focused and you follow your head, not your heart.” Mixed-bag advice on closer examination, but Donna gets the point. She studies hard to become a flight attendant, and doesn’t let occasional discouragement and setbacks get in her way. When she finds out that roomie Christine has stolen seemingly insignificant items (decorative soaps) from their mentor’s home, she reprimands her friend anyway, lecturing her on the virtues of honesty and of playing by the rules. Ultimately, her friend’s kleptomania is punished and honesty is rewarded. Realizing that the reality of her dreams isn’t as pretty as the fantasy that sent her chasing them, Donna has the wisdom to reevaluate her life and reset her internal navigation. Intact, loving families are lauded.

nudity and sexual content: There are more short skirts (with cleavage to match) in this movie than at a Dallas Cowboys cheerleading tryout. Donna and her girlfriends flaunt their bodies, manipulating their outfits for optimal sex appeal. Straight skirts. Miniskirts. Halter tops. Bikinis. Panties. Bath towels. Early on, after locking lips with her high school boyfriend, Donna teases him with an invitation to watch her change clothes. Later, after her bikini clasp breaks, she’s seen hugging its top to her chest as Ted fixes it for her. Christine urges Ted to rub suntan oil on her back and shoulders. He obliges, but resists her obvious come-ons. Donna and Ted make out a few times, and the two move in together shortly after they begin dating (sex is implied). There are jokes about sexual pain, circumcision and polar bear testicles. Homosexual gags include images of a gay flight attendant positioned with his face buried in a male mannequin’s crotch.

violent content: While acquainting viewers with Donna’s past, the movie shows her mother’s fourth husband lying on the couch in their trailer. His son walks by and whacks him on the top of his head. A fight between Donna and Christine has a jealous Christine throwing most of the punches. Before it’s over, she has pushed Donna down and begun smashing her face into a loaf of bread.

crude or profane language: A half-dozen s-words fly out of theater speakers, along with close to a dozen milder profanities. The number of misuses of God’s name reaches 30-plus.

drug and alcohol content: That early scene of Donna’s stepfather depicts him drunk. Donna jokes about becoming an alcoholic when her life refuses to shape up. She and her friends all have occasional drinks of beer and wine. Alcohol is served in airplanes. Sherry smokes cigarettes.

conclusion: USA Today informs me that our cultural fascination with flight attendants dates back to May 15, 1930. That’s when the very first one, Iowan Ellen Church, boarded Boeing Air Transport. She and many of her early peers were nurses, hired to soothe a skittish public’s sky-shy nerves. They exist on one end of the spectrum. On the other comes the news that Hooters of America has decided to offer more wings than just the deep-fried, spicy variety. The restaurant chain, known for flaunting its well-endowed waitresses, has created its own limited-route airline which features “Hooters Girls” as flight attendants, wearing their well-known “uniforms.” View From the Top has more in common with the latter, and offers about as much taste.

Steven Isaac

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Metacritic reviews

View from the top.

• 75 Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert Adult audiences may be underwhelmed. Not younger teenage girls, who will be completely fascinated.
• 60 Chicago Reader J.R. Jones Chicago Reader J.R. Jones The tone seesaws between comic wackiness and romantic sincerity, with Paltrow better suited to the latter.
• 50 Chicago Tribune Mark Caro Chicago Tribune Mark Caro Why Paltrow, who was accepting a best actress Oscar four years ago, would take this clumsily written role is anyone's guess.
• 50 Washington Post Stephen Hunter Washington Post Stephen Hunter It's meant to be harmless fluff. It is.
• 38 Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea Philadelphia Inquirer Steven Rea Mike Myers, responsible for the picture's one, or possibly two, laughs.
• 30 Variety Robert Koehler Variety Robert Koehler Flubs nearly every opportunity to be the comedy it wanted to be.
• 25 Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman Charlotte Observer Lawrence Toppman I think this camp classic is an accident along the lines of "Showgirls": howlingly funny, filled with gratingly earnest performances, riddled with dialogue that will be quoted at parties.
• 20 Village Voice Dennis Lim Village Voice Dennis Lim The film, meanwhile, goes for that choppy, air-pocket sensation, veteran helmer Bruno Barreto directing like he's never made a movie before, and never wants to again.
• 16 Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy If the new I-wanna-be-a-stewardess picture View From the Top were an airplane, it would blow up on takeoff. If it were an airline meal, it would infect you with E. coli. If it were a parachute, it would be riddled with holes.
• 12 Boston Globe Ty Burr Boston Globe Ty Burr Who on earth is this embarrassment -- easily the worst film of the year to date -- aimed at?
• See all 30 reviews on Metacritic.com
• See all external reviews for View from the Top

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View from the top.

Directed by Bruno Barreto

Prepare for her arrival.

No one thought Donna would go very far. But when she sets her sights on becoming a first-class international flight attendant, Donna throws caution to the wind and takes off in pursuit of her dream. The ride is anything but smooth, however, and Donna's laugh-packed journey of a lifetime is rocked by more turbulence than she bargained for.

Gwyneth Paltrow Christina Applegate Mark Ruffalo Candice Bergen Joshua Malina Mike Myers Kelly Preston Stacey Dash Rob Lowe Marc Blucas Frederick Coffin Jon Polito Concetta Tomei Robyn Peterson Nadia Dajani John Francis Daley Priscilla Inga Taylor Matt Roth DonnaMarie Recco Daniel Raymont Connie Sawyer David Hayward Chelsey Cole Troy Evans Merrilee McCommas George Kennedy Candice T. Cain Valentin Siroon Jessica Capshaw Show All… Mary McNeal Stephanie Miller Susan Mosher Victoria Garcia-Kelleher Stephen Tobolowsky Anastacia Spiegel Amanda Wycoff Dawn-Marie Whelan Jeff Yagher Greg Bronson Roark Critchlow Chad Everett Wayne Federman Clarinda Ross Jackie Zane

Director Director

Bruno Barreto

Producers Producers

Brad Grey Matthew Baer Bobby Cohen Lizzie Friedman Laura Hopper Francesca Silvestri

Writer Writer

Editors editors.

Christopher Greenbury Ray Hubley Charles Ireland

Cinematography Cinematography

Affonso Beato

Assistant Director Asst. Director

Chitra F. Mojtabai

Executive Producers Exec. Producers

Alan C. Blomquist Amy Slotnick Robbie Brenner

Production Design Production Design

Art direction art direction.

Elizabeth Lapp

Set Decoration Set Decoration

Ellen Brill

Stunts Stunts

Sonny Tipton Reuben Langdon Patricia M. Peters Dennis Keiffer Lisa Hoyle Randy Hall Dane Farwell Donna Evans Denney Pierce Paul E. Short

Composer Composer

Theodore Shapiro

Costume Design Costume Design

Mary Zophres

Releases by Date

21 mar 2003, 16 may 2003, 11 jul 2003, 04 sep 2003, 11 sep 2003, 01 oct 2003, releases by country.

• Theatrical U
• Theatrical 12
• Theatrical 0
• Theatrical PG
• Theatrical PG-13

87 mins   More at IMDb TMDb Report this page

Popular reviews

Review by Sylvie ★½ 6

Add “sit through this movie” to the list of things I’d do for Ayoade.

Review by richardson abdinegara ★ 2

Im watching this cause I wanna read Richard Ayoade's book

Review by Kylo ★★★★★

Paris. First class. International.

I will always remember Gwyneth Paltrow as a small-town girl with big dreams of becoming a flight attendant. Also, don’t mess with Sally Weston. This movie has big heart and the best soundtrack. It never fails to put me in a good mood. Follow your dreams.

Review by Connor ★

that 1 star is for mark ruffalo being hot

Review by Juan ★★★★ 1

So I gave View from the Top a four star rating on Letterboxd. That's a thing that just happened and I never expected it to. Until I saw the movie and read a Netflix comment that I found truly helpful.

"Truly awful. I like everyone in this movie but they've been handed a lifeless script that obliges them to say and do things that aren't entertaining. Avoid unless your favorite movie is Romy and Michele's High School Reunion."

This was helpful for two reasons: 1. It let me know how genuinely awful this person is. 2. It let me know that my feelings about this movie were totally spot-on because I adore Romy and Michele's High School Reunion more than…

Review by Xavier ★★★★★ 1

how can so many of y'all be so wrong about this movie?

Review by tibby ★★★★★ 1

you, a fool, has not read richard ayoade's book ayoade on top: this movie is bad. half a star. me, a genius, has read richard ayoade's book ayoade on top, knows what a clever and artistic film this is: the movie is what citizen kane wishes it was. five stars, only because letterboxd is afraid of how many it would earn if there wasn't that limit.

Review by 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 🌷 ★½ 4

Richard Ayoade don’t EVER say I don’t do anything for you!!! I hate planes, flying, AND Gwyneth Paltrow this was ALL for you dude 😭😭😭

Review by jocey coffman ★★

This review may contain spoilers. I can handle the truth.

uhhhhhh???? Christina applegate smashes Gwyneth Paltrow’s face in a giant loaf of bread in this????

Review by marsha ★½

as good as a movie about a small town girl that starts off with the song ‘don’t stop believin’ can be

Review by paige ★★★★★ 1

I’m a flight attendant now!!!!! I think of this film every day

Review by Kylo ★★★★★ 3

I feel like rewatching this movie has given me the motivation to follow my dreams whatever they were in the first place. This movie is just so heartwarming and silly. Gwyneth Paltrow and Christina Applegate are hilarious. The best soundtrack. I love it so much.

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View From the Top

By Peter Travers

Peter Travers

Oscar winner Gwyneth Paltrow as Donna, a bottle-blond flight-attendant trainee who favors push-up bras and hooker makeup, is not just casting against type, it's casting against sense. What might fly as a skit on SNL never leaves the runway on the screen as Brazilian director Bruno Barreto and first-time screenwriter Eric Wald set the cast on a desperate search for laughs. From the TV promos, you'd think Mike Myers was Paltrow's co-star as an instructor. No such luck. He's in and out. Ditto Mark Ruffalo as Donna's lawyer boyfriend and Rob Lowe as a mile-high-club pilot. It's up to Paltrow, Christina Applegate as Donna's fellow trainee, Kelly Preston as a mentor and Candace Bergen as the mother stew of them all to carry the load. It's a no-go. View From the Top boasts a first-class cast, but they're all traveling coach.

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Rumour has it that Gwyneth Paltrow's pet name for this grim outing is "A View From My Ass". Hardly surprising, really - having been kept in a holding pattern since 9/11, this tedious rom-drama finally touches down truncated and mutilated.

Paltrow is a white-trash smalltown gal who dreams of becoming an airline stewardess. She's the finest trainee in her class, but loses out when her `best' mate Christina Applegate swaps exam papers with her. The next 40 minutes plots a predictable flight path, with Gwynnie struggling to prove she was wronged so that she can take to the skies.

This should never have left the ground. Paltrow is miscast, her aristocratic languor clashing visibly with her protagonist's working-class guilelessness, while Mike Myers' grotesque `comic' turn as a cross-eyed instructor belongs in a different movie altogether. But what really transforms this short hop into a long haul is Bruno Baretto's evident discomfort behind the camera. Saddled with a plot that jets erratically between sappy romance, Euro travelogue and vulgar farce, the Brazilian filmmaker fails to establish a consistent tone. Small wonder that entire scenes (including Myers' ill-conceived terrorist gags) ended up on the cutting-room floor, resurfacing as outtakes during the end credits.

In fact, only Applegate's sterling work as Paltrow's treacherous pal upgrades this from one-star ignominy. And that's on a good day with the wind behind it.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine. 

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View from the Top Movie Review

• Holly McClure Movie Reviewer
• Updated Apr 16, 2013

Genre: Comedy, Romance

Rating: PG-13 (for language/sexual references)

Release Date: March 21, 2003

Actors: Gwyneth Paltrow, Christina Applegate, Marc Blucas, Mark Ruffalo, Kelly Preston, Mike Myers, Rob Lowe, Candice Bergen

Director: Bruno Barreto

Special Notes: Look for George Kennedy ("Airport" and three "Airport "sequels) and Chad Everett ("Medical Center") in cameos. An inside joke is a scene that involves Kennedy -- critics laughed because he starred in all those "Airport" disaster movies .

Plot: When Donna's (Paltrow) teen sweetheart breaks up with her, she turns her sites towards a career in the airline business to escape her small town and the small-minded people in it. Donna wants nothing more than to be an international flight attendant and is willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that her dreams come true. Along the way she makes friends (Applegate, Preston) and meets a boyfriend (Ruffalo), learning that the road to success is rarely a smooth flight and sometimes the journey is filled with turbulence. Will Donna give up her dream job for love? Or will she choose an exciting career that will take her dreams to a new destination?

Bad: I have to admit that I made the mistake of thinking this movie was going to be hilarious, so I was a bit disappointed when I hardly laughed at all. It just wasn't as funny as I thought it would be. Don't get me wrong, the movie has its moments when it makes fun of big hair and self-absorbed women, but overall, the goofy situations and slapstick comedy isn't as funny or zany as the trailer makes it out to be. In fact, it's sort of silly. There's some profanity, adult situations and one scene that shows Donna in bed with her boyfriend (no nudity is shown).

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View From The Top Review

22 Aug 2003

View From The Top

Gwyneth Paltrow as trailer trash: not convincing. Mike Myers as a boss-eyed airline staff trainer: not funny. Christina Applegate as a bitchy best friend: not original. But let's not rush to blame the actors too hastily for this mediocre effort.

The plot and characterisation are as skimpy as the omnipresent mini-skirts and, for a comedy, the script simply doesn't get off the runway. Supposedly hilarious scenarios are handled with all the panache and timing of a particularly poor 1970s sitcom.

The obsession with breasts (the cinematographer and costume designer apparently either in collusion or under orders here) may go some way to compensating male viewers for their time, and young women may find glimpses of pleasure in the early scenes of liberation. But its conclusion is so tepid, its journey so half-hearted and its look so uncommonly dated that this is unlikely to feel worth the ride.

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The Philadelphia Story (1940)

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Meet Me in St. Louis (1944)

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“‘Meet Me in St. Louis’ is wholesome in story [from the book by Sally Benson], colorful both in background and its literal Technicolor, and as American as the World’s Series,” Variety ‘s review said. “Garland achieves true stature with her deeply understanding performance, while her sisterly running-mate, Lucille Bremer, likewise makes excellent impact with a well-balanced performance.”

Singin’ in the Rain (1952)

The musical romantic comedy “Singin’ In the Rain” follows three Hollywood stars in the late 1920s dealing with the transition from silent films to talkies. Starring Gene Kelly, Debbie Reynolds and Donald O’Connor, the movie was one of the first 25 films selected by the U.S. Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry.

“‘Singin’ In the Rain’ is a fancy package of musical entertainment with wide appeal and bright grossing prospects,” Variety ‘s review said. “Concocted by Arthur Freed with showmanship know-how, it glitters with color, talent and tunes, and an infectious air that will click with ticket buyers in all types of situations.”

Seven Samurai (1954)

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“Director Akira Kurosawa has given this a virile mounting,” Variety ‘s review said. “It is primarily a man’s film, with the brief romantic interludes also done with taste. Each character is firmly molded. Toshiro Mifune as the bold, hairbrained but courageous warrior weaves a colossal portrait. He dominates the picture although he has an extremely strong supporting cast.”

The Terminator (1984)

Sci-fi action film “The Terminator” follows a cyborg assassin (Arnold Schwarzenegger) sent back in time to kill Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton), whose son will one day save mankind from extinction from artificial intelligence, Skynet. Co-written and directed by James Cameron and co-written and produced by Gale Anne Hurd, the film topped the U.S. box office for two weeks and grossed $78.3 million.

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Toy Story (1995)

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“To swipe Buzz’s motto –“To infinity and beyond”–“Toy Story” aims high to go where no animator has gone before,” wrote Leonard Klady in a 1995 Variety film review . “Fears at mission control of the whole effort crashing to Earth proved unwarranted; this is one entertainment that soars to new heights.”

Toy Story 2 (1999)

“Toy Story 2” continues Woody and Buzz Lightyear’s journey as the co-leaders of the toy group. When Woody is stolen by a toy collector, Buzz and the other toys must find set out to find him. During his time with the collector, Woody meets Jessie and Stinky Pete, other toys also based on characters from the TV show “Woody’s Roundup.” The animated film was originally supposed to be a direct-to-video sequel, but was upgraded to a theatrical release by Disney.

“In the realm of sequels, “Toy Story 2″ is to “Toy Story” what “The Empire Strikes Back” was to its predecessor, a richer, more satisfying film in every respect,” wrote former chief film critic Todd McCarthy in a 1999 Variety film review . “The comparison between these two franchises will be pursued no further, given their utter dissimilarity. But John Lasseter and his team, their confidence clearly bolstered by the massive success of their 1995 blockbuster, have conspired to vigorously push the new entry further with fresh characters, broadened scope, boisterous humor and, most of all, a gratifying emotional and thematic depth.”

Deliver Us From Evil (2006)

“Deliver Us From Evil” is a documentary that follows the case of convicted pedophile Oliver O’Grady, who molested approximately 25 children as a priest in northern California between the late 1970s through early 1990s. Filmmaker Amy Berg tracks O’Grady down to Ireland, where he was deported after being convicted of child molestation in 1993 and serving seven years in prison.

“Given how strong this kind of testimony is, “Deliver Us From Evil’s” decision to hype it more than it needs to be is unfortunate,” L.A. Times film critic Kenneth Turan said about the film in a 2006 review. “The film has a weakness for over-dramatization, for unsettling music and portentous close-ups of O’Grady’s hands and lips that are distracting and unnecessary.”

“There is nothing over-dramatic, however, about the deeply painful testimony of the adults who were victimized as children and their still traumatized parents,” he continued. “’He was the closest thing to God that we knew,’ one mother says. ‘I let the wolf in through the gate.'”

Taxi to the Dark Side (2007)

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The film was a part of the “Why Democracy?” series, produced by The Why Foundation, which consisted of 10 documentary films examining democracy.

“Gibney (“Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room”) has crafted more than just an important document of systemic abuse — he’s stripped the rhetoric from official doublespeak to expose a callous disregard for not only the Geneva Conventions but the vision of the Founding Fathers,” writes Jay Weissberg in a Variety film review . “All enemies in wartime are perceived as animals, but Gibney uncovers the ways the White House and Pentagon have encouraged torture while distancing themselves from responsibility.”

Man on Wire (2008)

James Marsh’s “Man on Wire” documents the death-defining hire-wire stunts of Philippe Petit, who in 1974, performed a tightrope walk between the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. “For contemporary audiences, Petit’s moment of mastery is inevitably shot through with a sense of loss; the following scenes, which reveal the band’s subsequent dissolution, reaffirm the bittersweet truth that triumph is but fleeting,” wrote Catherine Wheatley, who reviewed the film for Sight and Sound in 2010. “The film’s vision, though, is ultimately uplifting: relationships, like buildings, can collapse into rubble, but as [Annie Allix] tenderly puts it, sometimes ‘It is beautiful that way’.”

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Lee Chang-dong’s “Poetry” chronicles the life of Mija, a Korean grandmother who is simultaneously dealing with an early-onset Alzheimer’s diagnosis and the violent crime committed by her teenage grandson. “Now is the time to bestow on yourself the gift of one of the most, well, poetic films of 2010,” Lisa Kennedy wrote for the Denver Post in 2011. “And by ‘poetic,’ we mean rich with soulful pauses that are at once visual and aural and deeply observant of the dance of routine and quiet surprise.”

Waste Land (2010)

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The Square (2013)

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“Continuing to follow a group of activists as they rally against the undue powers of the Muslim Brotherhood and the Army, ‘The Square’ understands that the Revolution itself is a work in progress, and while its immediacy means it, too, will soon be superseded, it stands as a vigorous, useful account,” writes Jay Weissberg in a 2013 Variety film review .

Gloria (2013)

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Leave No Trace (2018)

Debra Granik’s “Leave No Trace” follows a father and daughter hiding in the forests of Portland, Ore. When a misstep tips off their location to local authorities, they must escape and find a new place to call home. Peter Travers wrote in his 2018 Rolling Stone review, “Debra Granik’s drama about a damaged war vet (Ben Foster) living off the grid with his teen daughter, brilliantly played by breakout star Thomasin Harcourt McKenzie, is hypnotic, haunting and one of the year’s best.”

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Crip Camp (2020)

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76 Days (2020)

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His House (2020)

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Quo Vadis, Aida? (2020)

“Quo Vadis, Aida?” documents the journey of Aida, a translator for the U.N. in Srebrenica interpreting the crime taking place when the Serbian army takes over the Bosnian town. “This is not historical revisionism, if anything, ‘Quo Vadis, Aida?’ works to un-revise history, re-centering the victims’ plight as the eye of a storm of evils — not only the massacre itself, but the broader evils of institutional failure and international indifference,” wrote Jessica Kiang, who reviewed the film in 2020 for Variety.

Hive (2021)

“Hive” tells the true story about a woman, Fahrije, who becomes an entrepreneur, after her husband goes missing during the Kosovo War. She sells her own red pepper ajvar and honey, and recruiting more women to join her. “Within the heavily patriarchal hierarchy of the country’s rural society, this places these maybe-widows in an impossible situation, especially when, like Fahrije, they have a family to care for,” writes Jessica Kiang for Variety . “They are expected to wait in continual expectation of their breadwinner-husbands’ return, subsisting on paltry welfare handouts, because to take a job or set up a business is looked on not only as a subversion of the natural order, but as a sign of disrespect to the husband and possibly loose morals.” 

Descendant (2022)

Netflix described its 2022 film, saying, “Descendants of the enslaved Africans on an illegal ship that arrived in Alabama in 1860 seek justice and healing when the craft’s remains are discovered.” “This past remains present, Brown shows, as activists explain how the land on which Africatown (formerly Magazine Point) was established once belonged to Meaher, who sold some of it to former slaves.,” wrote Peter Debruge for Variety . “Talk of racial injustice calls for nuance, and it’s impressive just how many facets of the conversation Brown is able to include in her film.”

20 Days in Mariupol (2023)

“20 Days in Mariupol” tells the story of a group of Ukrainian journalists who are trapped in Mariupol during the Russian invasion and struggle to continue documenting the war. The film is directed by Mstyslav Chernov, a Ukrainian director and it won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature Film in 2024. “Powerful as those glimpses were to international viewers, Chernov doesn’t spare his documentary more brutally sustained moments,” wrote Dennis Harvey for Variety . “There’s no political analysis or sermonizing here, just a punishingly up-close look at the toll of modern warfare on a population.”

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One of my favorite feel-good movies just crashed the Netflix top 10 — and it’s 95% on Rotten Tomatoes

S ometimes the right movie comes along at the right time, and that was definitely the case for me with “The Peanut Butter Falcon." This delightful comedy-drama appeared at a period in my life when I needed a little boost, and it provided just that. 

The movie celebrates its 5th anniversary later this year and has recently arrived on Netflix U.S. where it’s making quite an impression. As of Thursday, May 9, “The Peanut Butter Falcon” is ranked No.6 in the Netflix most-watched list ahead of high-profile favorites like “Blended” and “The Equalizer” as well as pacing ahead of the terrible blockbuster “The Great Wall” (seriously, why is that in the streamer's top 10?) 

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” flew a little under the radar upon release in 2019, so I’m delighted it’s getting a richly deserved warm reception on Netflix. But if you want to know more before adding it to your watchlist, here’s why you need to watch this feel-good movie…

What is ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’ about? 

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” focuses on the unlikely friendship between a trio of likable characters. The heart of the movie is Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Down syndrome, who runs away from his state-run care facility to chase an outlandish dream of becoming a professional wrestler under the guidance of his hero, The Salt Water Redneck (Thomas Haden Church). 

On the road, Zak meets Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), a small-time crook on the run from the law, and the two become fast friends. Tyler teaches Zak various life skills and takes up a role as his coach. Meanwhile, in pursuit of Zak is Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a kind nursing home employee, who is convinced to join the pair on their journey. 

Alongside its three leads, “The Peanut Butter Falcon” also features John Hawkes, Bruce Dern, Jon Bernthal and even rapper Yelawolf. It’s an eccentric cast, and the range of talent involved suits the movie’s "band of misfits coming together" vibe.

‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’ reviews — here’s why critics love it 

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” was warmly embraced by critics. It holds an impressive 95% rating on the review aggregate site Rotten Tomatoes , and its audience score is even higher at 96%. Those are the highest scores of any movie currently in the Netflix top 10, which is a real testament to the quality of this comedy-drama.   

Critics were particularly impressed with the performance of Shia LaBeouf. “This is LaBeouf at his best, stripped down to his bare elements and bookended by two luminous performances from Gottsagen and Johnson,” said Beth Webb of E mpire Magazine .

The Wrap ’s Yolanda Machado called it “A beautiful story about human connection, heroes, and finding the joy of simply living your truth” and Peter Debruge of Variety labeled it “A feel-good niche indie with its priorities in the right place.”

Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle was a little more mixed, but overall fell on the positive side of the scale: “‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’ is a nice little movie that barely goes anywhere, but audiences, in a certain mood, might be willing to drift along with it.”

Should you stream ‘The Peanut Butter Falcon’ on Netflix?  

The short answer is yes, you should 100% stream “The Peanut Butter Falcon” on Netflix. 

It’s the perfect pick when you’ve had a less-than-stellar day and want a movie that will put a big smile on your face. Granted, its slow(ish) pacing might not appeal to viewers demanding a twist-every-minute thrill ride, but give it a chance and the movie’s engaging characters brought to life by wonderful performances will stay with you long after the credits roll. So long as you’re in the mood for something a little low-stakes, it’s hard to believe you won’t also come to love this charming flick. 

“The Peanut Butter Falcon” isn’t the only critical darling that has arrived on Netflix this month. Check out our roundup of all the new to Netflix movies with high RT scores for even more top movies on the world's most popular streaming service . 

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Movie review: 'kingdom of the planet of the apes'.

A new entry in the reboot franchise has arrived

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Who would’ve thought that fifty-six years after the original Planet of the Apes that the franchise would still be alive and kicking? It survived four less well-received sequels, a short-lived TV series, an equally short-lived animated series, numerous parodies of/references to its iconic final scene and to star Charlton Heston’s performance and, of course, the infamous Tim Burton remake.

With upgraded technology in both the special effects community and the scientific research within the real world, we got treated to an amazing reboot trilogy, one that got better with each subsequent film and dealt with the general public’s concerns surrounding genetic experimentation. Picking up the baton from those three films is a new entry called Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes .

It has been many generations since the events of War for the Planet of the Apes , and apes are spread into many clans. The Eagle Clan, led by Koro (Neil Sandilands), raises birds to use as hunters and protectors. Koro’s son, Noa (Owen Teague), has come of age and will soon nurture his own eagle.

The night before the ceremony, a band of apes who serve Proximus Caesar (Kevin Durand) raid the camp in search of a human woman (Freya Allan) they’ve been hunting. They burn the village and take most of its residents prisoner.

Noa, having been left for dead, journeys further than he’s even travelled in search of his family. Along the way he teams with Raka (Peter Macon), an orangutan wise in the true teachings of Caesar, not the twisted version Proximus follows, and the human woman at the center of all this.

Kingdom is a strong standalone—or potential start to a new trilogy—entry in the reboot series. Yet, even with its strengths, it didn’t necessarily blow me away like the previous two entries did. Director Wes Ball and writer Josh Friedman have constructed an interesting new world within the overarching Apes universe, keeping in line with the series as a whole and using the ape society to mirror the real world.

A lot can be read into the subtext of all these films, going back to the original (some of them aren’t even that subtle with their messages). Kingdom can definitely be read as a metaphor for the way things are running in our modern era, with leaders who want all the power and subjugate those under them with distorted, self-serving interpretations of a previous leader’s teachings.

Ball and Friedman do a very good job of slipping this into the narrative without too much head-hitting. The message does get a little more in-your-face with the late introduction of a character who is pretty much the embodiment of the subtext’s potential effect on someone.

As with the previous entries, the ape effects are superb. Nothing belies the digital nature of the characters or anything else that might have been inserted during post-production. The characterizations are also top notch.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes tells an entertaining story and does a commendable job branching itself off from the previous three films while simultaneously acknowledging their shadow. Even though I wasn’t exactly wowed, I do look forward to seeing where the story might go from here.

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‘unfrosted’: pop-tarts movie pops up on netflix global top 10 movies chart.

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Jerry Seinfeld, Cedric the Entertainer and Jim Gaffigan in "Unfrosted."

Unfrosted — Jerry Seinfeld’s Netflix original comedy movie about the origin of Pop-Tarts — is heating up viewership for the streamer.

Co-written and directed by Seinfeld — who also stars in the film as Kellogg’s executive Bob Cabana — Unfrosted is set in the 1960s amid a battle between cereal giants Kellogg’s and Post to come up with the first breakfast toaster pastry.

A fictionalized movie, Unfrosted also stars Jim Gaffigan as Edsel Kellogg III, Melissa McCarthy as NASA-turned-Kellogg’s scientist Donna Stankowski and Amy Schumer as Post boss Marjorie Post.

Like the fictional story created for Unfrosted , the characters played by Seinfeld, Gaffigan and McCarthy were all invented for the movie. Schumer’s Marjorie Post is based on a real person, but her story is heightened for comedic purposes.

According to Netflix’s Global Top 10 Movies chart , Unfrosted debuted at No. 1 on the streamer with 7.1 million views, which equates to 11.3 million viewing hours. The film debuted on Netflix’s US Top 10 Movies chart at No. 3.

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Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s romantic comedy Anyone But You finished at No. 2 for the second consecutive week (6.7 million views/11.6 million viewing hours) while director Zack Snyder’s space opus Rebel Moon – Part Two: The Scargiver (6 million views/12.3 million viewing hours) came in at No. 3 in its third week of release.

The animation and live-action hybrid Woody Woodpecker Goes to Camp (5.6 million views/9.4 million viewing hours) was No. 4 on the chart in its fourth week of release, while the documentary Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut (5.4 million views/7.2 million viewing hours) rounded out the top five in its second week of release.

How Was ‘Unfrosted’ Received By Critics And Fans?

Unfrosted didn’t exactly get a warm and toasty reception by Rotten Tomatoes critics, who collectively gave it a 41% “rotten” rating based on 85 reviews.

Viewers were a bit kinder to the fictionalized Pop-Tarts origin tale, giving it a 50% neutral Audience Score based on 500+ ratings.

In addition to its core cast, Unfrosted features dozens of cameos from stand-up comedy greats and film and TV stars throughout the movie.

Among the actors and/or comedians making appearances in Unfrosted are Bill Burr, Cedric the Entertainer and several cast members of Saturday Night Live past and present, including Darrell Hammond and Mikey Day.

Other stars appearing in Unfrosted include James Marsden, Patrick Warburton and Hugh Grant — and Jon Hamm and John Slattery stage a Mad Men mini-reunion in a cameo scene.

Unfrosted is new on Netflix.

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