Overview
A poignant coming-of-age tale set against the backdrop of 1950s Louisiana, where summer days are filled with first love and family challenges.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- nostalgic
- tender
- wistful
- quiet afternoon
- nostalgic movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a deeply affecting and naturalistic coming-of-age drama, especially highlighting its performances and family-centered emotional detail.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dani's attraction to Court and her changing understanding of intimacy drive the story.
Dani and Maureen's relationship is shaped by their contrasting futures and feelings around Court.
The rural Louisiana summer of 1957, Elvis's popularity, swimming, and farm life create a wistful atmosphere.
Dani's strict father wants a son while the household negotiates pregnancy, work, education, and adolescent independence.
Films like The Man in the Moon, and why
My Girl
rural coming-of-age drama centered on first love, family bonds, and adolescent emotional discovery
Ode to Billy Joe
nostalgic southern coming-of-age story shaped by family pressures, young romance, and emotional upheaval
The Great Santini
intimate period drama about adolescence, strict family expectations, and a transformative relationship
A Little Romance
tender youth drama involving sibling relationships, first love, and painful maturation
Movie Details
- Director
- Robert Mulligan
- Release Date
- 1991-09-30
- Runtime
- 99 min
- Rating
- 7.4 / 10 (390)
Cast
- Reese Witherspoon
- Jason London
- Emily Warfield
- Sam Waterston
- Tess Harper
- Gail Strickland
- Bentley Mitchum
- Ernie Lively
- Dennis Letts
- Earleen Bergeron
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Man in the Moon about?
- A fourteen-year-old Louisiana girl discovers that first love, sisterhood, and family expectations can make one summer of freedom unbearably complicated.
- What is The Man in the Moon like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Man in the Moon as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Man in the Moon violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Man in the Moon as mild.
- What did critics think of The Man in the Moon?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a deeply affecting and naturalistic coming-of-age drama, especially highlighting its performances and family-centered emotional detail.
- Which films are like The Man in the Moon?
- Films with a similar feel include My Girl, Ode to Billy Joe, The Great Santini, and A Little Romance.
- How long is The Man in the Moon?
- The Man in the Moon runs 99 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Man in the Moon?
- In United States, The Man in the Moon streams on fuboTV, MGM+ Amazon Channel, Philo, MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel, MGM Plus.
