Starter for 10

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Starter for 10

PG-13,

2007,

1h 36m,

Romance/

Comedy/

Drama

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Watchlist

90%

80 Reviews

Tomatometer

66%

10,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

80 Reviews

66%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Brian Jackson (James McAvoy), a working-class youth from Essex, gets a chance to prove himself when he is accepted to respected Bristol University. As Brian navigates his way through his first year there, he finds romance with two pretty students (Alice Eve, Rebecca Hall) and tries out for a popular TV program called "University Challenge."

Critics Consensus

Starter For 10 is a spirited coming-of-age tale that remains charming and witty even as it veers into darker teritory. The unique setting of a quiz show makes the film wittier than your average romantic comedy.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Dec 4, 2007

Conventional, slight, but charming.

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Chris Tilly

Time Out

Sep 22, 2007

This is expertly crafted entertainment that follows all the beats of a traditional romantic comedy, but it's done with such sincerity that it's difficult to begrudge the odd descent into clich.

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David Fear

Time Out

Sep 22, 2007

2/6

There's nothing here we haven't seen done better before.

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David Lamble

Bay Area Reporter

May 21, 2020

McAvoy is piling up an impressive resume of leading-guy roles for an actor who doesn't at first glance possess leading-guy looks.

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Troy Patterson

Spin

Oct 25, 2019

3.5/4

Adhering to every convention of the coming-of-age film in a sneakily alluring way and flirting with cliche without slobbering all over it, this sweet little date-night flick is built to charm everyone's inner 18-year-old.

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Kaleem Aftab

The List

Nov 3, 2018

3/5

While the love story is predictable, the amusing quiz show storyline and excellent post-new wave soundtrack almost make up for it.

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Hermione G

Feb 2, 2019

Good fun comming of age film. The cast is rock solid. The music is really good. A film about making mistakes and the love of your frinds and family

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Abraham R

Jul 25, 2018

I so wanted to like this movie. And I so didn't. Truth be told, I found Starter for 10 to be just to indie for me. There wasn't really a plot. It was a love story, and yet it wasn't a believable on. The movie did have some strong points. We had great actors that played their character's very well. This I think was the magic of the movie; you have characters like benedict cumberbach and James McAvoy playing complete fools, your bound to laugh. I admired the simplicity of the movie- as it is a movie cenetered around a university, it really did feel like characters abided by the idea of an "ol' college try". However, the movie was quite boring, as I feel most indies are. I don't think that the slowness of the movie makes it a bad movie, but I do think it makes it hard to pay attention. I think that, in the end, was its Achilles heel. I struggled to take notice of some of the better qualities of the movie simply because all I could think was when is this going to end?

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Luke W

Mar 31, 2017

Enjoyable drama and student love story. Only bad thing about this movie is... it is British!

Ron S

Jan 1, 2017

Starter For 10 is a pleasant addition to the typical gentle Brit-com genre; perfect for a rainy Sunday afternoon. Nothing too demanding is expected of the viewer, but the plot trots along effortlessly. There are moments of humour, a few English cringe moments that'll send most of us reminiscing back to our uni follies, and of course a sentimental ending. Nostalgia abounds for anyone who remembers Britain in the 80s, University Challenge or Nicholls' original novel - the essence of which has been successfully captured on screen. There's added pleasure in watching a multitude of early career performances from now household names - all of which are perfectly cast - from James McAvoy, Rebecca Hall, Benedict Cumberbatch and James Corden.

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Han M

Aug 5, 2014

To me, Starter for 10 is one of the best and one of the most relatable coming of age stories out there. ...Also, did I ever mention that I'm a huge fan of James McAvoy?

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Tom Vaughan

Director

James McAvoy

Brian Jackson

Alice Eve

Alice Harbinson

Rebecca Hall

Rebecca Epstein

Simon Woods

Josh

Catherine Tate

Julie Jackson

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Synopsis

Brian Jackson (James McAvoy), a working-class youth from Essex, gets a chance to prove himself when he is accepted to respected Bristol University. As Brian navigates his way through his first year there, he finds romance with two pretty students (Alice Eve, Rebecca Hall) and tries out for a popular TV program called "University Challenge."

Director: Tom Vaughan
Producer: Tom Hanks, Gary Goetzman, Pippa Harris
Screenwriter: David Nicholls
Distributor: Picturehouse
Production Co: Scamp Film and Theatre Ltd., Playtone Productions, Neal Street Productions, HBO Films
Rating: PG-13 (Sexual Content|Scene of Drug Use|Language)
Genre: Romance, Comedy, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 23, 2007, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $210.1K
Runtime: 1h 36m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

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