Brave New Jersey, a new comedy about how The War of the Worlds radio broadcast impacts a fictional town, has not won over most movie critics.
Written by Michael Dowling and director Jody Lambert, Brave New Jersey is set in the small Garden State town of Lullaby on October 30, 1938. Its cast includes Tony Hale (Veep) as the town’s mayor and Heather Burns (Manchester By The Sea) as a neglected housewife who wants to break free from her big-cheese husband, played by Sam Jaeger (Parenthood). Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) is cast as a demure school teacher.
The Gravitas Ventures film arrived in select movuie theaters and in-demand services today. Most critics found fault with the script and noted its budgetary constraints.
Here is a sampling of reviews:
“The real problem, though, is that Brave New Jersey isn’t just superficially artificial. It’s artificial all the way through. It’s not just that the tiny town of Lullaby, N.J. isn’t real ̶ it’s that it doesn’t remotely look like any town in New Jersey. (The movie was filmed in Tennessee.) It’s not just that the characters don’t look like people from the 1930s; it’s that they don’t act like people, period.” ̶ Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger
“Attempting to combine romantic drama with satirical comedy, the film succeeds in neither department. We care little about the hapless mayor’s lingering love for the woman who got away, nor for her marital issues. Indeed, most of the characters and situations are trivial and uncompelling. Only the absurdly gung-ho military man garners consistent laughs, and that’s largely due to the committed performance by Barry, who uses his trademark intensity to excellent effect. The waste of Hale and Bakkedahl, whose comic chops are on ample display in Veep but who underplay in the film to little effect, feels particularly egregious. The film also suffers from the technical limitations imposed by its modest budget, although the costumes and production design do a fine job of conveying the proper period atmosphere.” ̶ Frank Scheck, The Hollywood Reporter
“And while Brave New Jersey explores the ways in which this apocalyptic news inspires everyone to take a close look at themselves and their life choices in the face of impending doom, it feels unfocused…. Instead, the story is spread too thin, or perhaps there just wasn’t that much substance to begin with.” ̶ Katie Walsh, The Los Angeles Times
The TV movie The Night that Panicked America was the definitive spin on this story, decades old and G-rated (none of the F-bombs this movie features). But there’s no sin in taking another shot at it. It’s just that this one has nothing much to offer, archetypal characters giving rote performances of a script that needed serious workshopping and edge-adding.” ̶ Roger Moore, Movie Nation
“Writer/director Jody Lambert populates his film with varied, believable characters, and gives each of them a rewarding journey. Lambert doesn’t shy away from adding layers of pathos, but this is essentially an uplifting romp, led by a lovely, delicate performance from Tony Hale. Truth may sometimes be stranger than fiction, but Brave New Jersey proves that fiction is a whole lot more fun.” ̶ Chloe Walker, Film Inquiry
“There are a lot of funny people in Brave New Jersey, but the movie is not very funny. Oh, it’s cute in spots, and the actors have some engaging moments. But with a cast this good, you expect something that will provide some genuine laughs, not merely an occasional smile.” ̶ Randy Cordova, The Arizona Republic
“Mr. Lambert, who wrote the screenplay with Michael Dowling, aims for a modest, old-fashioned yarn about a time when people believed in the news media. Even when word gets out that the Martian invasion announcement was just part of a radio show, not everyone listens as intently as they did to the original radio program and gossip. The film’s narrative simplicity can be charming or frustrating, depending on your feelings about awkward dialogue and overreacting actors.” ̶ Monica Castillo, The New York Times
“Lambert aims for gentle, Lake Wobegon–ish nostalgia, but the jokes never land, the undifferentiated small town confers no sense of location, and its eccentrics aren’t particularly weird.” ̶ Chris Packham, The Village Voice
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