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Beginners

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Beginners
Promotional poster
Directed byMike Mills
Written byMike Mills
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyKasper Tuxen
Edited byOlivier Bugge Coutté
Music by
Production
companies
Distributed byFocus Features
Release dates
  • September 11, 2010 (2010-09-11) (TIFF)
  • June 3, 2011 (2011-06-03) (United States)
Running time
104 minutes[1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$3.2 million[2]
Box office$14.3 million[2]

Beginners is a 2010 American romantic comedy-drama film written and directed by Mike Mills. Inspired by Mills’ own life, the film draws from the story of his father coming out as gay at the age of 75, five years before his death. The film stars Ewan McGregor as Oliver, a graphic designer navigating a new romantic relationship in the wake of his father Hal’s late-life revelation and illness. Christopher Plummer portrays Hal, with Mélanie Laurent and Goran Višnjić in supporting roles.

The narrative unfolds across two interwoven timelines: Oliver's growing connection with Anna (Laurent), an actress grappling with her own emotional distance, and flashbacks to his evolving bond with Hal during the final years of his life. As Oliver reconciles with his father's truth and legacy, he confronts his own fears about love, commitment, and identity.

Beginners premiered at the 2010 Toronto International Film Festival and was released in the United States on June 3, 2011. Produced on a budget of approximately $3.2 million, the film grossed over $14 million worldwide. It received critical acclaim for its introspective narrative, direction, and performances. Plummer’s portrayal earned numerous accolades, including the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, Critics' Choice Movie Award, Golden Globe Award, and Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Supporting Actor.

Plot

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In Los Angeles in 2003, graphic designer Oliver Fields reflects on the recent death of his father, Hal, from lung cancer. Interspersed throughout the film are flashbacks to Hal’s final years and Oliver’s childhood, as well as scenes from Oliver’s developing relationship with Anna Wallace, a French actress.

Six months after the death of his wife, Georgia, Hal came out as gay at the age of 75 and embraced his new identity, becoming active in the local LGBTQ+ community and beginning a relationship with a younger man, Andy. Oliver and Hal grew closer during this period, particularly as Oliver supported his father through cancer treatment. Oliver recalls Hal’s optimistic demeanor during his illness, despite moments of denial.

Hal and Georgia had been married for 44 years. They met in high school, and Georgia believed she could help Hal overcome his homosexuality. Although they remained together until her death, their relationship was emotionally distant, and Oliver remembers his mother as quietly unfulfilled and his father as largely absent. This upbringing influenced Oliver’s reluctance to commit to romantic relationships.

After Hal’s death, Oliver attends a costume party where he meets Anna, who is temporarily unable to speak due to laryngitis. They bond through written notes and spend the night together, beginning a tentative relationship. When Anna briefly travels to New York for work, Oliver is inspired by his father’s openness and decides to pursue a more meaningful connection.

Upon her return, Anna moves in with Oliver, but her emotional reservations and reluctance to unpack her belongings reflect her unease with commitment. Tensions grow as both struggle with vulnerability. Oliver ends the arrangement, and Anna decides to move out. Although she tells him she is returning to New York, Oliver later discovers she remained in Los Angeles.

Eventually, the two reconnect. While their future remains uncertain, they express a willingness to face it together, suggesting a renewed openness and emotional growth.

Cast

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Lou Taylor Pucci, the star of Mills’ previous film Thumbsucker (2005), makes a cameo in the sequence at the costume party, appearing briefly as the man dressed as a magician.

Production

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Beginners is partially autobiographical, drawing on writer-director Mike Mills’ own experiences. Following the death of his mother, Mills’ father came out as gay at the age of 75, a development that inspired the film’s narrative.[3] Principal photography was conducted using the Red One digital camera system, contributing to the film's naturalistic visual style.[4]

Music

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Main article: Beginners (soundtrack)

Reception

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Box office

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Upon its limited release in the United States on June 3, 2011, Beginners earned $216,000 from just five theaters, averaging $43,200 per theater. The film gradually expanded to wider release, and by the end of its North American run, it had grossed $5.8 million. Internationally, Beginners performed modestly, earning $9.3 million from various territories, bringing its worldwide total to $15.1 million against a production budget of approximately $3.2 million.[5]

Critical reception

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Beginners received critical acclaim upon release. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 86% based on 159 reviews, with an average score of 7.5/10. The website's consensus reads, "Wearing its twee heart on its sleeve, Beginners explores the depths of modern, multi-generational romance with wit and depth."[6] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 81 out of 100, based on 36 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim."[7]

Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun-Times awarded the film three-and-a-half stars out of four, calling it "a hopeful fable with deep optimism and a cheerful style that kids itself."[8] Peter Debruge of Variety described it as "deeply poignant and disarmingly personal."[9] Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly praised the film’s lyrical style and performances, writing, "The movie darts, dreams, and sometimes seems to dance. The great Christopher Plummer, meanwhile, creates an inspiring, fully rounded man in late bloom, and Ewan McGregor responds with a performance to match."[3] Diego Costa of Slant Magazine commended its narrative approach, stating, "One of the most distinct pleasures of Beginners is the way it puts together fragments of someone's life... with humility and without vying for some complete whole."[3] Calvin Wilson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch called it "a lovably quirky comedy drama with a rhythm all its own."[3]

Accolades

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Award Date of the ceremony Category Recipients Result Ref.
Hollywood Film Awards 24 October 2011 Best Supporting Actor Christopher Plummer Won
Gotham Awards 28 November 2011 Best Feature Beginners (tied with The Tree of Life) Won [10]
Best Ensemble Cast Keegan Boos, Mary Page Keller, Mélanie Laurent, Kai Lennox, Ewan McGregor, Christopher Plummer, and Goran Višnjić Won
Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association 5 December 2011 Best Supporting Actor Christopher Plummer Nominated [11]
Los Angeles Film Critics Association 11 December 2011 Best Supporting Actor Won [12]
San Diego Film Critics Society 12 December 2011 Best Supporting Actor Nominated [13]
Best Supporting Actress Mélanie Laurent Nominated
Best Original Screenplay Mike Mills Nominated
Best Editing Olivier Bugge Coutté Won
St. Louis Film Critics Association 12 December 2011 Best Art-House or Festival Film Beginners Nominated [14]
Houston Film Critics Society 14 December 2011 Best Supporting Actor Christopher Plummer Nominated [15]
Toronto Film Critics Association 14 December 2011 Best Supporting Actor Won [16]
Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association 16 December 2011 Best Supporting Actor Won [17]
Satellite Awards 18 December 2011 Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Nominated [18]
Chicago Film Critics Association 19 December 2011 Best Supporting Actor Nominated
Online Film Critics Society 2 January 2012 Best Supporting Actor Won [19]
National Society of Film Critics 7 January 2012 Best Supporting Actor 2nd place [20]
New York Film Critics Circle 9 January 2012 Best Supporting Actor Christopher Plummer (tied with Viggo Mortensen for A Dangerous Method) 2nd place [21]
National Board of Review 10 January 2012 Top Ten Independent Films Beginners 3rd place [22]
Best Supporting Actor Christopher Plummer Won
Vancouver Film Critics Circle 10 January 2012 Best Supporting Actor Won [23]
Critics' Choice Movie Awards 12 January 2012 Best Supporting Actor Won [24]
Golden Globe Awards 15 January 2012 Best Supporting Actor – Motion Picture Won [25]
London Film Critics' Circle 19 January 2012 Supporting Actor of the Year Nominated [26]
Screen Actors Guild Awards 29 January 2012 Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Won [27]
AARP Movies for Grownups Awards 6 February 2012 Best Supporting Actor Won [28]
British Academy Film Awards 12 February 2012 Best Actor in a Supporting Role Won [29]
Independent Spirit Awards 25 February 2012 Best Film Beginners Nominated [30]
Best Director Mike Mills Nominated
Best Supporting Male Christopher Plummer Won
Best Screenplay Mike Mills Nominated
Academy Awards 26 February 2012 Best Supporting Actor Christopher Plummer Won [31]
GLAAD Media Awards 21 April 2012 Outstanding Film – Wide Release Beginners Won

Notes

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  1. ^ The character is called "Juan" in the film, but named "Julio" in the film's credits.

References

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  1. ^ "Beginners (15)". British Board of Film Classification. Archived from the original on April 13, 2011. Retrieved 2011-12-03.
  2. ^ a b Beginners at Box Office Mojo
  3. ^ a b c d Alexander Ryll. "Essential Gay Themed Films To Watch, Beginners". Gay Essential. Archived from the original on 13 January 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  4. ^ Dargis, Manohla (2011-06-02). "Beginners, With Christopher Plummer and Ewan McGregor — Review". The New York Times.
  5. ^ "Beginners (2011) - Financial Information". The Numbers. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  6. ^ "Beginners". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved May 1, 2025.
  7. ^ "Beginners". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 2011-08-31.
  8. ^ Ebert, Roger (2011-06-08). "Beginners". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on 2012-03-03. Retrieved 2022-02-20.
  9. ^ Variety, September 12, 2010: Review: ‘Beginners’ Relinked 2014-06-25
  10. ^ Goldberg, Matt (2011-11-29). "BEGINNERS and THE TREE OF LIFE Tie for Best Feature at the 2011 Gotham Awards". Collider. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  11. ^ "2011 WAFCA Awards".
  12. ^ Knegt, Peter (2011-12-11). "'The Descendants' Takes Top Prize at LA Critics Awards". IndieWire. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  13. ^ "San Diego Film Critics Select Top Films for 2011". www.sdfcs.org. Archived from the original on 2012-12-15. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  14. ^ "St Louis Film Critics". Awards Daily. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  15. ^ "'The Descendants' takes Best Picture from Houston critics". HitFix. Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  16. ^ "torontofilmcritics.com » "The Tree of Life" Named Best Picture of 2011". torontofilmcritics.com. Archived from the original on 2012-01-07. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  17. ^ "Dallas-Fort Worth critics REALLY like 'The Descendants'". HitFix. Archived from the original on 2012-01-11. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  18. ^ Kilday, Gregg (2011-12-18). "'The Descendants,' 'Drive' Take Top Satellite Award Honors". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  19. ^ "15th Annual Online Film Critics Society Awards". Awards Daily. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  20. ^ Pond, Steve (2012-01-07). "'Melancholia' Named Best Picture by National Society of Film Critics". TheWrap. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  21. ^ Knegt, Peter (2011-11-29). "'The Artist' Leads New York Film Critics' Circle Awards". IndieWire. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  22. ^ "2011 Archives". National Board of Review. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  23. ^ "Vancouver critics name The Artist top film of 2011". The Globe and Mail. 2012-01-10. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  24. ^ Team, The Deadline (2012-01-13). "'The Artist' Best Pic, George Clooney, Viola Davis Top Actors At Critics Choice Awards". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  25. ^ Press, -Associated (2012-01-16). "List of winners for the Golden Globes". The Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  26. ^ Leith, Alex (2012-01-21). "The 32nd London Critics' Circle Film Awards". The Critics' Circle. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  27. ^ Staff, T. H. R. (2012-01-29). "SAG Awards 2012: The Winners List". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  28. ^ "'The Descendants,' 'The Artist' among winners at AARP's Movies for Grownups Awards". EW.com. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  29. ^ "Orange BAFTA Film Awards 2012 - winners". Digital Spy. 2012-02-12. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  30. ^ McNary, Dave (2012-02-25). "'The Artist' dominates Spirit Awards". Variety. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
  31. ^ "The 84th Academy Awards | 2012". www.oscars.org. 2014-10-07. Retrieved 2025-06-18.
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