54
Metascore
11 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75New York PostKyle SmithNew York PostKyle SmithLike a Canadian "Six Feet Under," the indie dramedy Whole New Thing mixes characters (teen and adult, gay and straight, married and single) who seem both completely plausible and capable of anything.
- 75The A.V. ClubNoel MurrayThe A.V. ClubNoel MurrayDevelops its story slowly and carefully, nearly always opting for the plausible over the sensational.
- 75TV Guide MagazineKen FoxTV Guide MagazineKen FoxInterestingly, the real heart of the film is in the finely drawn adult characters.
- 60Chicago ReaderChicago ReaderThe film features subtle, honest performances by Daniel MacIvor (who also cowrote the screenplay) as the perplexed prof and engaging newcomer Aaron Webber as the sensitive student.
- 60The New York TimesStephen HoldenThe New York TimesStephen HoldenThis movie is a more conventional, but also more believable, exploration of the potential cost of thumbing your nose at society.
- 50VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis Harvey"Thing" suffers the familiar curse of Canadian seriocomedy -- just nice enough in content and stylistically like a telepic.
- 50New York Daily NewsJack MathewsNew York Daily NewsJack MathewsSlight Canadian coming-of-age drama.
- 50SalonAndrew O'HehirSalonAndrew O'HehirWhole New Thing comes unglued toward the end, spiraling into melodrama without ever escaping its whiny, indie-rock soundtrack.
- 30Village VoiceVillage VoiceHalf-new at most, this "Running With Scissors"–type tale of a precocious, effeminate teen who gets hot for teacher while prepping for a life in the arts isn't evidently autobiographical. Neither is it funny--or poignant or insightful or remotely worth one's time.
- 30Film ThreatPhil HallFilm ThreatPhil HallThe one lesson learned from watching this film is that Canadians can make movies just as badly as anyone else.