Being Flynn
An aspiring writer confronting his estranged, alcoholic father at a Boston homeless shelter must decide whether family resemblance is destiny.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- intimate
- uneasy
- quiet evening
- character drama night
What critics said
Critics broadly found Robert De Niro sincere and gripping, but judged the film's uneasy blend of drama and comedy emotionally uneven.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nick's work at a homeless shelter becomes entangled with Jonathan's arrival, forcing him to confront family patterns and the fear of becoming like his father.
Nick hopes to become a writer while working with homeless residents and navigating the material and psychological consequences of his father's decline.
Nick's memories of his mother and earlier family life intensify his response to Jonathan's reappearance and shape his self-understanding.
The film centers on a Boston homeless shelter, its residents, and the unvarnished pressures surrounding poverty, addiction, and unstable housing.
Films like Being Flynn, and why
The Savages
shared intimate family drama, addiction themes, and emotionally fraught parent child conflict
The Squid and the Whale
shared dysfunctional family dynamics, alcoholism, literary ambition, and melancholic character study
Half Nelson
shared grounded social realism, troubled family relationships, and subdued emotional intensity
The Wrestler
shared bleakly comic drama, addiction, damaged masculinity, and strong lead performances
Movie Details
- Director
- Paul Weitz
- Release Date
- 2012-03-02
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (287)
Cast
- Robert De Niro
- Paul Dano
- Julianne Moore
- Olivia Thirlby
- Eddie Rouse
- Steve Cirbus
- Lili Taylor
- Victor Rasuk
- Liam Broggy
- Chris Chalk
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- 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 Being Flynn about?
- An aspiring writer confronting his estranged, alcoholic father at a Boston homeless shelter must decide whether family resemblance is destiny.
- What is Being Flynn like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Being Flynn as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Being Flynn violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Being Flynn as mild.
- What did critics think of Being Flynn?
- Critics broadly found Robert De Niro sincere and gripping, but judged the film's uneasy blend of drama and comedy emotionally uneven.
- Which films are like Being Flynn?
- Films with a similar feel include The Savages, The Squid and the Whale, Half Nelson, and The Wrestler.
- How long is Being Flynn?
- Being Flynn runs 102 minutes.
- Where can I watch Being Flynn?
- In United States, Being Flynn is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home.
