• Trending
    • Certified Fresh & Verified Hot
    • TV Premier dates
    • New horror Movies
    • Best Movies of All Time
  • Movies
    • Movies In Theaters
    • Movies at Home
  • TV Shows
    • New TV
    • Most Popular TV
  • News
    • What to Watch
    • Guides
    • RT News
    • Awards
  • Games
    • Find Your Next Horror Watch
  • Video
  • Showtimes
  • Fanstore
  • About Rotten Tomatoes
  • Critics
  • Download the App Now
  • Logout
Rotten Tomatoes
Suggestions will appear as you start typing. Submit search Movies Tv shows RT App New News Showtimes

Laurel Canyon

Play trailer Poster for Laurel Canyon R,  2003,  1h 41m,  Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist 70% 109 Reviews Tomatometer 52% 5,000+ Ratings Popcornmeter
70% Tomatometer 109 Reviews 52% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Sam (Christian Bale) and his fiancée, Alex (Kate Beckinsale), move to Los Angeles for the summer to stay at the luxurious house of his mother, Jane (Frances McDormand), while she's away. But Jane, a hip record producer, has not left yet because she's still working on a project with her British musician boyfriend, Ian (Alessandro Nivola). Sam and Alex feel the pull of Jane's fast-paced, decadent lifestyle, and their relationship starts to fray when they get involved with other people.
Laurel Canyon

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Though the movie itself is flawed, McDormand is fantastic as Jane.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View More
Richard Brody The New Yorker Mar 15, 2021
The movie has poise and a lightly perspiring sexiness, but also an uncertain sense of humor... Go to Full Review
Jeff Strickler Minneapolis Star Tribune Apr 24, 2003
2.5/4
Fizzles out in the third act, but we're long past caring. By then, Frances McDormand has usurped the movie and turned it into a lesson in character acting. Go to Full Review
Bill Muller Arizona Republic Apr 18, 2003
3/5
Self-discovery seems to be the goal, but the revelations hardly seem worth the work. Go to Full Review
Nick Rogers Midwest Film Journal Nov 9, 2023
2/4
Somewhere, there’s an interesting movie to be made that wraps the human condition in with music, psychiatry and fruit fly mating patterns. This isn’t it. Go to Full Review
Kelly Vance East Bay Express Aug 11, 2011
It's a story about how people get seduced by Los Angeles. That still happens, you know. Go to Full Review
Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Apr 21, 2011
B-
As a follow up to High Art, this melodrama is not as good or provocative as Cholodenko's debut. Even so, the film deals with female (lesbian) sexuality and as such deserves recognition. Go to Full Review
Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View More
Anakin P Sep 8, 2018 A couple good performances by Bale and McDormand, and not too good by Beckinsale. But I'm no longer thrilled to watch a film about people succumbing to their base instincts See more
Abraham W Jul 12, 2018 Some interesting performances, but the movie goes no where and the ending just ... ends! With no resolution of several plot lines. Just pffffft! Bale over acts and is a real awkward putz in this movie. Very unsatisfying. See more
Read all reviews
Laurel Canyon

My Rating

Read More Read Less WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW POST RATING

Cast & Crew

View All

Lisa Cholodenko

Director

Frances McDormand

Jane Bentley

Christian Bale

Sam Bentley

Kate Beckinsale

Alex Elliot

Natascha McElhone

Sara

Alessandro Nivola

Ian McKnight

More Like This

View All
New Best Friend 6% 38% New Best Friend Watchlist Birthday Girl 59% 39% Birthday Girl Watchlist The Rules of Attraction 45% 71% The Rules of Attraction Watchlist TRAILER for The Rules of Attraction Foolproof 63% Foolproof Watchlist We Don't Live Here Anymore 64% 54% We Don't Live Here Anymore Watchlist Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Related Movie News

View All
View All

Laurel Canyon

View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Sam (Christian Bale) and his fiancée, Alex (Kate Beckinsale), move to Los Angeles for the summer to stay at the luxurious house of his mother, Jane (Frances McDormand), while she's away. But Jane, a hip record producer, has not left yet because she's still working on a project with her British musician boyfriend, Ian (Alessandro Nivola). Sam and Alex feel the pull of Jane's fast-paced, decadent lifestyle, and their relationship starts to fray when they get involved with other people.
Director
Lisa Cholodenko
Producer
Susan A. Stover, Jeffrey Kusama-Hinte
Screenwriter
Lisa Cholodenko
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
Sony Pictures Classics, Antidote Films, Good Machine
Rating
R (Language|Drug Use|Sexuality)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 7, 2003, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 1, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.7M
Runtime
1h 41m
Sound Mix
Surround, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Dolby Stereo
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
Join The Newsletter Join The Newsletter Cookie Settings