User reviews

Well I love everything literary, but I certainly didn't love this movie. As soon as I saw Kaley Cuoco of Big Bang fame I decided to watch it. I'm also a fan of Chis Klein but he fails to impress in this movie. Kaley appeared exactly the same as her ditzy character in Big Bang, I sincerely hope this is not her true personality and she is just being type cast which is a real shame. All the characters were overblown and farcical, I presume this was intentional. I found nothing funny about it, didn't laugh once and dare I say it, didn't even smile. What another waste of time and effort. How do they get the money to make these movies? Very disappointed yet again. The premise was interesting, but the heavy handed script writing ruined any chance of an enjoyable movie. Why do they insist on treating us the paying viewers as if we are dumb? Shame, shame, shame.

Definitely a very "meta" film, considering that an untalented but successful actress (Kaley Cuoco) plays an untalented but successful writer. (One of the other characters likes her, but it is not made clear why!)

I think a lot of my disappointment comes from the total lack of a comeuppance for the know-nothing lead character, which for some reason I was expecting, like a punch line to a joke. The other thing that was lacking that could have made the lead character more interesting and likable was some personal growth. There is simply very little for the viewer to root for or even care about in this movie.

The premise was appealing, which is why I watched the movie, but it really failed to entertain and I actually just ended up feeling upset and angry that I had wasted time and money on this poorly made movie.

Having been in several small writers groups in different Nevada and California locations I found it true to life in that a non-writer controls the group. The one problem I had with the film was the screenwriters identifying a Vanity Press indicating Roaring Lion as a Print-On=Demand. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I have found POD to be quite rewarding and not nearly as expensive as depicted in the film.

I do believe that all three writers landed publishing contracts not because of what was written, but who they knew. I am sure that is the way it works in Hollywood and I understand it working in the print world as well.

There were some chuckles, but as I found it too true to life in the writers group segments, I couldn't give it higher than 4 stars. For someone who has never experienced the writers groups BS they may find it extremely funny.

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Decent watch at best, probably won't watch again, and can't recommend.

This is one of those movies that looks like it is written for writers, and it's not that its bad, but the target audience shifts away from people that normally watch movies.

A group of struggle-writers basically begins to break up when the youngest, hottest woman in the group wins the networking game and moves on to a better life.

If you're not familiar with L.A. / Hollywood culture, or not a writer, or unfamiliar with the road to fame, then you're not going to get the full effect of this movie.

I get a lot of it, and don't find it to be substantial.

Kaley Cuoco was my main reason for being interested in this movie, even when it looked like a failure. She gives a great performance and is of course quite good-looking, especially in a tank top or shorts or both, or nothing but a man's dress shirt. She wears a spaghetti-strap top in one scene. But she has such a great personality. I won't say her looks don't matter because they are important to the plot, but they're not that necessary. And she's great with Henry, but not all that romantic. She wears glasses to read, but while I wasn't crazy about her first pair, her second pair look worse. No, in the photo representing the movie on IMDb, she's wearing a pair she tried but didn't like.

Dennis Farina once again reminds us how much we have lost. He's not a particularly likable character, but one we can love to hate. John K. Butzin (who, like Ed LaSalle, the most memorable character in a Mary Tyler Moore sitcom I can't remember the name of, uses his full name when talking about himself) , is quite annoying but still a pleasure to watch somehow. His misfortunes are hilarious, helped along by Tricia Helfer.

William is annoying and I don't mean that in a good way.

Teri Polo and I have a history. Her character in "Northern Exposure" was so unpleasant I all but quit watching the show. That's how bad it had gotten. And she's just as terrible here, at least to me. In the first scene she has pretty hair but not a pretty face. Later, with more makeup, she's somewhat good-looking. But her personality is really hard to take. She does have some good scenes that even I couldn't criticize. I believe people will like her. Just not me.

Chris Klein is someone you want to root for, but watching his difficulties is actually kind of fun. He's pleasant enough.

I was going to say the actress has one line but makes the most of it, but she actually has many more lines later and shows that she was capable of more.

Overall, it was pretty good.

Against my previous experiences with direct-to-video movies I made the mistake of renting this one all because the cast and the plot seemed promising. This is really the first movie that I felt like making a comment about before I even finished watching it. Trust me and save yourselves. Although the plot somewhat seems original enough, the scripting is very poor, it is full of very predictable dialogs. I can even complete the sentences word by word as the actors speak them. I actually felt sorry for the cast, they must have needed the money bad which seems to be paid by Coca Cola, since their variety of products and their brand logo can be seen everywhere all the time. What a waste of my time.

Since literature and movies usually need a kind of conflict they center on, this movie is about a writing group breaking apart by jealous feelings.

The members of the writing group meet again and again to read and comment on each others writing. These meetings are recorded by a camera team - much in the way "like the Kardashians'" as one character would put it. In between these meetings the camera follows each member of the group on their quest to be read authors.

"Authors Anonymous" is listed as a comedy, though I most certainly would not categorize it as one. There was no chance to interrupt the movie with heartfelt laughter, a chuckle or even a smirk. Rather, one/I felt rather sorry, uncomfortable or bored by a plot that could be foretold and characters that where pure chliché.

I really like Kaley Cuoco on "The Bing Band Theory". I just felt a little disappointed that the character she plays in this movie is so alike to the one in the series. I'm very positive her range is much wider and it would have been interesting to see that. She plays her part uniquely just as everyone else in the movie does.

Still, this comedy is rather depressing. In case you are looking for something uplifting, this might not be the right time to watch "Authors Anonymous". In case you need a little Hollywood-reality insight topped with stereotypes, then enjoy!

I wasn't sure whether or not to give this one a go considering the current low rating (which was 4.4 when I wrote this review) but I must say I'm glad I did.

It's not the most amazing movie of all time or anything but it kept me entertained throughout it's running-time.

It feels like it was heavily inspired by the TV-series 'Modern Family' and Christopher Guest's filmography with a fake documentary approach having the characters talk straight to the camera occasionally about their lives and the other characters etc.

If you want to get technical some angles could simply not have been captured the way they were in the movie by a documentary-crew, with for instance multiple- angle close ups of characters sitting opposed to each other at a table but no camera-man in sight in any of the shots, but it doesn't take you out of the movie or anything.

As far as the movie goes it had a lot of funny moments with a stellar cast (good to see Chris Klein again) and even though the plot is hard to describe as it's not really a plot-based movie but merely about some odd characters with hopes of becoming successful writers (some odder than others) it does entertain and that's all I wanted from the movie.

Writers, aspiring authors, and journalists seem to get flack no matter where they turn in an increasingly math and science driven world that, while undoubtedly improving the life and sanctity of humanity through unforeseeable technological and scientific innovations, still inherently neglects the humanity and the eccentric qualities that the aforementioned groups of people work to establish within nearly everything they do. In such times, where opportunities for jumpstarting their writing projects have been given more accessibility but, in return, less professional credibility, we logically turn to other writers to discuss this problem or, ambitiously enough, seek out films to help us deal with the common struggles of a writer, to which Ellie Kanner's Authors Anonymous seemed like a solid bet for a film attempting to profile a group of aspiring writers.

Authors Anonymous never really establishes whether or not it wants to be a practical account of a group of goofy writers whose ultimate goals are to get published and become recognized for what they do or if it the film wants to be a broadly done satire profiling the common caricatures of writers. I have a feeling the film leans more towards the second category than the first, however, that only makes my ongoing review even harsher, for the film not only squanders opportunities and commentary with this approach, when it should be overflowing with them, but also greatly diminishes the resonance this film could have with writers everywhere, myself included.

The film has a plethora of great stars, all of whom I hope to see in better films as soon as possible. The film revolves around a group of aspiring/struggling writers, whom gather at their authors anonymous meeting - although they openly state their names, which defeats the purpose of the group's name, yet I digress - to discuss their stories and their ambitions, while giving and receiving personal feedback. The group is run by Henry Obert (American Pie's Chris Klein), an amiable pizza delivery man and carpet cleaner, who is suffering from a wretched case of writer's block and disillusioned by his monotonous existence all the more. That is until he meets Hannah Rinaldi (The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco), a woefully dim but cheery and attractive writer who, while never reading a book in her life, let alone naming a famous author, manages to score a publishing deal for the book she wrote. Once she manages to become a regular at the authors anonymous (but not really) meetings, she is quickly envied by the other authors in the group, including the uptight David Kelleher (Jonathan Banks), the do-nothing William Bruce (Jonathan Bennett), and the annoyingly delusional but incomparably ambitious John K. Butzin (Dennis Farina), who aspires to one-up everyone in the group by looking to get his novel published and made into a movie, directed by Clint Eastwood, to disastrous results.

The way I see it, each author is supposed to represent a different kind of author we encounter or read about. While Henry is optimistic, he's also burdened by the inability to capture his thoughts adequately on the page, while Hannah is the kind of person who's ignorance and lack of any real fundamental knowledge of the field are neglected by others and, of course, she walks away with a publishing deal. Meanwhile you have David, who carries a tape recorder along with him to voice his spur-of-the-moment ideas, however, never actually using them, William, who is simply in it for the ride, talking a lot but never actually writing, and John, the writer who deludes himself by saying all is going well and on the up-and-up for his writing career when it's anything but.

Yet, writer David Congalton doesn't really acknowledge or dive into the purpose of these caricatures, making them lumber through tiresome setups with every scene, allowing their same flawed personality traits to be seen. This does nothing more than erect a tired, one-note joke where we become so caught up in the character's naivety and inherent stupidity that we don't care anymore. We came to see a version of ourselves, but all we get are the broadstrokes of actual human beings that exercise in that odd cinematic void where complete and total stupidity is passed off as reality. Not to mention, the film is also shot like a reality show, ironically adding realism to the one film this year that has about as much realism as Transformers: Age of Extinction.

Authors Anonymous bears some positives amidst a whirlwind of issues. The cast is always watchable and committed to their roles, regardless of how obnoxious or undercooked they are, the film bears the kind of original setups that you're interested in, even on a small note, just to see where they end up, and the film isn't without certain moments of humor. However, Authors Anonymous, like a muddled adventure book, lacks an identity or a resonance with broadly-drawn satire or attempts at a comedy authors can relate to, never identifying with either and unfortunately failing if classified as both.

Starring: Chris Klein, Kaley Cuoco, Johnathan Banks, Johnathan Bennett, and Dennis Farina. Directed by: Ellie Kanner.

At first, I was excited to watch this movie. Many of the actors I have seen in previous movies, and have enjoyed! This however, was not one of those movies. I found this movie very hard to get into. It has a very slow start...middle...and...Well I did not even make it that far. I had to turn it off. I found the characters to be annoying and whinny the whole movies. I was also disappointed that this was filmed as a "reality show". I love B rated corny films, but this is unwatchable. There was nothing funny or comical about it as I was hoping for. If you are thinking about watching it, I would suggest finding another movie. If you do end up watching it, I hope you enjoy it more than I did :)

This is not the best movie I have seen but it is still not the worst. It's a sweet movie and it just showcases the actors abilities to improv, which in itself, is fun. Teri Palo was hilarious. I am not sure why it got completely panned. I can see where someone is looking for a complete comedy but at times it was a dark comedy like the sad side of wanting to be a published author. Yes, I think Chris Klein could have done a better job. He looked tired and bored. There were some very predictable moments. Of course, I rented this and didn't pay full price, which may have given me more reason to give it less stars. It's a good movie to see on a lazy afternoon or when you are procrastinating from a big project you need to do. Still, I enjoyed it and am glad I rented it.

I am rating it a 4/10, based by just its trailer. Now many of you might have reactions like, What's wrong with you? or Watch the movie to at least review it, or something along those lines. But see, what is the purpose of a trailer? To get the audiences excited, wanting to watch more. Get the hype out of a movie. Heck, sometimes after watching a trailer, you start counting down to watch the actual movie! So to make people super enthused to watch a movie, trailers have to catch your attention. Sometimes the trailer is the best bits of the movie! And then we come out after watching the movie and sulk, because if you watched the trailer, you watched all the best parts. The rest 1 hour is just fillers. That being said, some movies are frigging amazing that the trailer did do the movie justice by increasing the hype. That was generally speaking. For AUTHORS ANONYMOUS, the trailer was so boring that I didn't even finish watching it. I was bored to my bones.

Now, maybe you might say that if you watched it, you might've enjoyed it. But in this date, everyone is busy. I don't want to waste my time watching a movie that I was bored from minute one of the trailer. If I can't bear the trailer, how am I supposed to bear the movie? Either this movie is actually very bad, or it's just advertising done horribly wrong. Either way, they should have put in more work into it.

Overall, 4/10 based on the trailer. And that's me being generous. I want to say a 2.5 or 3, because the trailer was awfully bad. And boring. If you want me to watch the movie, at least be creative enough to drag my attention when I am watching the trailer!!

I'm a frustrated writer. I have written a lot of articles and feature stories of various topic, but I never began to write even one page of my first novel.

At first, I don't know. The first few minutes of the film seem boring and an effort to watch. But as soon as you get to know all of the characters, it becomes interesting. The characters come from actual people or experience as far as I can tell. I, at least, identify with three of them.

This film is a writer's movie and it gives one a glaring lesson for all who want to be a published author.

"This group really is all for one and one for all." Hannah Rinaldi (Cuoco) has just been accepted into a writer's group. The group is full of aspiring writers who are all excellent…in their own minds. Each writer is trying to make their own path to stardom and being published. When Hannah gets a break the rest of the group becomes jealous and the real personalities are shown. I have to start by saying that I thought this was very funny and I laughed a lot, on the other hand though this is not for everyone. The movie is a "mock-umentary" and is very much like Best In Show or Mighty Wind. The humor is for a select group but if you are into this type of comedy you will love this movie. Each character is funny but Dennis Farina's Tom Clancy type character really steals the movie and this is worth watching just for him. Overall, very very funny but again, for a select group of people. If you like the Christopher Guest improv movies like Best In Show you will like this. I laughed a lot. I give this a B+.

I am a writer, in a group, and while my group is excellent and nothing like this, I see the truth in it. I liked the movie, and I'm glad the good people had good things happen in the end.

That is all I want to say, but I am informed that is not enough. Must write more. So, I suggest writers who have been in groups, good, bad or indifferent watch and enjoy. Don't go into it with serious expectations.

If you are a writer not/never in a group, do not watch this. Instead, go write something. Do you need a prompt? I have a reliable one. Close your eyes and visualize a door. Now see someone go in, or come out. Who is that person and what does he or she do? Does he or she speak to you? And what words are said? Write for the length of the movie.

I went to see based on a recommendation from my writer's group, dragging my husband along with me to a theater over an hour away. We had seen the trailer, but didn't realize that it would be laugh-out-loud funny so often. The semi-documentary style of the movie made it feel like you got to know each of the characters really well. The movie took you through all of the emotions that you experience as a writer; the heartache of rejection, the envy of others' success, and the fear that you might never get a contract yourself.

This movie is not 'easy' watching. As with many indie movies, there are times between laughs that are really uncomfortable, and you just have to sit with them and let them sink in. I was impressed by how each of the actors were able to show their characters struggle with the awkwardness of their own emotions in various situations.

Both my husband and I were impressed with the movie. We both think that it felt 'real'. It's definitely worth a watch - even if you're not a writer - if you've ever competed for anything and watched someone else win, you will get something from this movie. There was a powerful message in there as well - always keep writing.

At the outset, let me say that Dennis Farina was a master of, from moment to moment, both hyperbole and subtlety. What an actor. I understand he died soon after completing this film. The man was good.

All the actors in this ensemble cast did a lovely job creating their diverse characters and delivering witty dialog, which was refreshing in itself. While all the characters were somewhat exaggerated as is needed in a comedy, there was enough truth in them to take a few nibbles out of this "pretend writer", also in a group, who saw myself a bit too clearly.

Authors Anonymous delivered what I want in a comedy: wit, intelligent dialog, appealing characters, funny lines, and a truth that rises up and whacks one on the side of the head. These elements frequently miss the mark for me in comedies. Above all, the writing was spot on.

In the Los Angeles area, Henry (Chris Klein) delivers pizzas and cleans carpets. Once a promising football star who won a college scholarship, injuries turned him in a new direction. Now, he aspires to be a famous writer and goes regularly to the place where F. Scott died, for he greatly admires our creator of The Great Gatsby. To further his cause, he has joined a "writing group" who pledges to lift each other up in the hopes of future publishing. Among the ragtag groups is an eye doctor (Dylan Walsh) who started the group to support his lovely wife (Teri Polo) who is writing a Russian romance. Also attending regularly are a pretentious young hotshot, who writes a mere sentence at a time, a wannabe Tom Clancy, John (Dennis Farina) who KNOWS he has what it takes and beautiful Hannah (Kaley Cuoco) who seems a bit dim, never having heard of some of the world's top authors. Mysteriously, Henry is in love with Hannah, although she is not an intellectual like him, and he has developed writer's block as a result of his unrequited love. Amid book launches at hardware stores, secret affairs, and desperate attempts to garner agents, who will be the first to make it big? This DARLING film is a winner on many fronts. it is funny, romantic, and spot on in its analysis of would be writers. The cast is wonderful, especially Farina who gave one of his last great comic turns. Viewers will also like the great sets, mighty nice costumes, lovable script and very fine direction. What a would have given to see this terrific film in a big screen setting!