Before and After | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

32% Tomatometer 19 Reviews 35% Audience Score 5,000+ Ratings The lives of Carolyn Ryan (Meryl Streep), a small-town doctor, and her artist husband, Ben (Liam Neeson), are shaken up when their son, Jacob (Edward Furlong), becomes the prime suspect in the death of a local teen girl. While Carolyn is intent on learning the truth about her son's involvement, Ben is willing to protect him at any cost, regardless of his guilt or innocence. When Jacob finally tells his parents what happened, events take a surprising series of turns. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Buy Now

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Critics Reviews

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Before and After | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Nell Minow Movie Mom Uneven script, but strong performances by a powerhouse cast. Rated: 3/5 Jun 20, 2003 Full Review Before and After | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Mike Clark USA Today Despite Meryl Streep, Liam Neeson and the usually estimable Edward Furlong, this nonevent huffs and puffs to attain even the level of an ordinary motion picture. Rated: 2/4 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Before and After | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Steve Davis Austin Chronicle Rated: 2.5/5 Jan 1, 2000 Full Review Before and After | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Chuck O'Leary Fantastica Daily Rated: 3/5 Oct 9, 2005 Full Review Before and After | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 3/5 Jul 18, 2005 Full Review Before and After | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Randy Shulman Metro Weekly (Washington, DC) Rated: 2/5 Aug 6, 2004 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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j F The acting was excellent, but Meryl Streep deserves a stronger script. Her role was too meek, especially against Lian Nielson. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/21/24 Full Review Chris A I didn't like it because they didn't finish the story. Anyone can see that Jacob didn't commit the crime. He had no motive. Yet questions crucial to solving the mystery were never asked. Who was the father? His friend? How did the car get home? Jacob obviously couldn't move it. Who did? Would anyone really leave their lover still alive in the snow to die? No. Did the sister hear or see anything? She must have. How did Jacob get to his friends house? He walked. Why was his friend not charged for aiding and abetting a wanted person? He and his parents should have been. Jacob's story isn't believable. So what is the real story? Rated 1/5 Stars • Rated 1 out of 5 stars 08/25/23 Full Review Jerod S There's a nostalgia to the way this 90s drama is acted out. When their son gets wrapped up in the death of a teenage girl, Streep and Neeson juggle how to save him. Kids aren't great actors, but it's a good novel turned film. Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 04/23/23 Full Review Audience Member The premise and the leads are engrossing enough to absorb you pretty quickly but this fractured family crime drama has a fairly ho-hum conclusion. Rated 2.5/5 Stars • Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review tom m Despite the extraordinary lead actors this production fell short. The story was thin and the story telling was weak. Don't bother. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review john e My 2022 quest to view every Meryl Streep movie continues. The biggest take away from Before And After is that great actors don't guarantee a great, or even good, movie. This 2012 film stars Meryl Streep and Liam Neeson as upper-class parents (the Ryans) in a small town where their son is being accused of murder.This movie slogs along all over the place in a desire to keep you guessing, when in fact it's fairly obvious where things are going to go right from the start. The two actors cast as the Ryan children are both pretty awful… the daughter whines and the son is a reclusive loner. If single note characterizations are your thing, you'll love them.In the end, both father and son learn a lesson the hard way and the Ryan family settles back into the blissful domesticity they had at the beginning of the film. Big yawn. Rated 2/5 Stars • Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Before and After

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Cast & Crew

Barbet Schroeder Director Meryl Streep Dr. Carolyn Ryan Liam Neeson Ben Ryan Edward Furlong Jacob Ryan Julia Weldon Judith Ryan Alfred Molina Panos Demeris
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Movie Info

Synopsis The lives of Carolyn Ryan (Meryl Streep), a small-town doctor, and her artist husband, Ben (Liam Neeson), are shaken up when their son, Jacob (Edward Furlong), becomes the prime suspect in the death of a local teen girl. While Carolyn is intent on learning the truth about her son's involvement, Ben is willing to protect him at any cost, regardless of his guilt or innocence. When Jacob finally tells his parents what happened, events take a surprising series of turns.

Director
Barbet Schroeder

Producer
Barbet Schroeder, Susan Hoffman

Production Co
Buena Vista (Walt Disney)

Rating
PG-13

Genre
Drama

Original Language
English

Release Date (Streaming)
Jan 1, 2014

Box Office (Gross USA)
$8.8M

Runtime
1h 48m

Sound Mix
Surround, Stereo
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