- 9
The movie is an idyllic view of life as it ought to be, rather than the way it is.
—Peter Rainer Christian Science Monitor
- 9
Comic and moving (without being overly sentimental) and completely unique, Lars and the Real Girl is one of the best times anyone will have at the movies this year.
—Pam Grady Reel
- 8
...manages to explore the pain of mental illness and still be funny. That alone is a minor miracle, but there are others. The movie takes a humanist and Capra-esque approach to all-American eccentricity, yet never seems goofy, simplistic, or maudlin. It's redemptive without being Dr. Phil?prescriptive. And there's a metaphor, too.
—Howard Karren Premiere
- 8
Yes, it's rated PG-13, and that's the correct rating, I believe. It could inspire conversations between children and their parents about masturbation, loneliness, acceptance of unusual people, empathy.
—Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times
- 8
...a delightful comedic drama...
—Leah Rozen People
- 8
...is the real deal, a movie for people who want to believe that somewhere out there is the perfect soul mate for just about anyone. In this case, that would be an anatomically correct $6,200 sex doll named Bianca.
—Pete Hammond Maxim
- 7
...an offbeat comedy that plays as if Preston Sturges came back to life and collaborated with the Coen Brothers on an updated version of the Jimmy Stewart film Harvey.
—Lou Lumenick New York Post
- 7
...is the darndest thing. Starring Ryan Gosling as the romantically challenged Lars, this is a film whose daring and delicate blend of apparent irreconcilables will sweep you off your feet if you're not careful.
—Kenneth Turan Los Angeles Times
- 6
...pretty touching and kindhearted...for a movie about a guy in love with a sex doll.
—Chris Farnsworth E!
- 5
...not a comedy, despite the urge to laugh at a man who is romantically infatuated with his life-like sex doll.
—Jason Morgan filmcritic.com
- 5
It isn't that funny the first time around, and it isn't that moving when it needs to be, either.
—Scott Tobias Onion AV Club
- 5
Will no one talk to Lars honestly about the pitfalls of dating a golem?
—Lisa Schwarzbaum Entertainment Weekly
- 5
...panders to misconceptions about the power of love and acceptance to drive down the demons of mental illness.
—Maitland McDonagh TV Guide
- 5
It's part comedy, part tragedy and 100 percent pure calculation, designed to wring fat tears and coax big laughs and leave us drying our damp, smiling faces as we savor the touching vision of American magnanimity. It holds a flattering mirror up to us that erases every distortion.
—Manohla Dargis New York Times
- 4
I know people who cried, and who find it quirky and charming and a real treasure. And I am happy for these people, though I am not with them, because I find Lars and the Real Girl adorable in the worst way, bailed out only by most every member of its excellent cast.
—Michael Phillips Chicago Tribune
- 4
...an SNL sketch reconfigured as quirky-corny Sundance pap.
—Nick Schager Slant Magazine
- 3
...wobbles in a slow, toneless no-man's-land between mawkish and schmaltzy while trafficking shamelessly in heartland stereotypy.
—Ella Taylor LA Weekly
- 3
...wobbles in a slow, toneless no-man's-land between mawkish and schmaltzy while trafficking shamelessly in heartland stereotypy.
—Ella Taylor Village Voice