The film adaptation of the 2017 Olivier-nominated stage musical Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, itself adapted from Jenny Popplewell’s 2011 TV documentary Jamie, has received generally favorable reviews from critics. The film’s creative team includes stage creators Dan Gillespie Sells (music), Tom MacRae (screenplay), Jonathan Butterell (direction) in his feature debut, and Kate Prince (choreography), as well as Anne Dudley (score), Christopher Ross (cinematography), Mark Everson (editing), Jane Levick (production design), Liz Simpson and Adam Tomlinson (art direction), Maxine Carlier (set decoration), and Guy Speranza (costumes).
The cast includes Max Harwood (Jamie), Sarah Lancashire (mom Margaret), Lauren Patel (Pritti), Shobna Gulati (Ray), Ralph Ineson (dad Wayne), Adeel Akhtar (Iman), Samuel Bottomley (Dean Paxton), Sharon Horgan (Miss Hedge), and Richard E. Grant (Hugo aka Loco Chanelle). The film premiered June 12 at Frameline Film Festival in San Francisco and will be available for streaming September 17 on Amazon Prime Video.
Deadline (Pete Hammond): I’m not exactly sure everyone will be talking about Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, but this film adaptation of the London West End musical hit is heartfelt and winning in its own right. The terrific cast, including newcomer Max Harwood as the title character and a scene-stealing Richard E. Grant, is perfectly chosen to make this indie charmer something to see. … The filmmakers here should be proud of what they have accomplished, and this film is certain to become a welcome discovery with real word-of-mouth potential once its hits Amazon.
Hollywood Reporter (David Rooney): The tried-and-true template of the individualistic dreamer struggling to rise above the gray prospects of life in regional working-class England gets a glittery paint job. … The title character is played with vivacity, cheeky pluck and a touching undertow of vulnerability by talented discovery Max Harwood. … The fact that the story plays out almost entirely to expectations … while still maintaining its freshness is due in large part to the natural appeal of Harwood, who makes Jamie’s courage uplifting and even makes his self-absorption endearing.
Screen Daily (Tim Grierson): Max Harwood’s big-screen debut coasts on charm and touching vulnerability, turning Jamie into an endearing stand-in for no doubt countless adolescents who just want to be accepted for who they are. … The narrative moves along briskly enough, although the plot complications are fairly predictable, up to and including a big finale in which Jamie will have to face down those trying to deny his authentic self. But the performances are so modest and lovely … that it’s easy to be like most everyone else around Jamie and cheer him on during this journey of discovery. The happy ending is assured, and quite satisfying.
Theatrely (Juan A. Ramirez): Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is a musical which, the further I get away from having seen it on stage, the more I appreciate it. … Its appeal lay mostly in its earned earnestness, infectious score and all-out performances by a hungry young cast. Hunger is what drives the character of Jamie. … It seems that in scaling down from stage to screen, his hunger has become mere fantasy. … But enough motherly patronizing, because Everybody’s Talking About Jamie is ultimately a pleasure to experience and features strong supporting turns from its cast. … I will be rewatching it for its dazzling numbers, if not for its dramatic value.
The Wrap (Carlos Aguilar): Giving a lesson on how to become a star in a single try, Harwood … commands attention from the initial defiant lines of the cheeky opening number, “And You Don’t Even Know It.” He juggles the fierce boldness the character puts on when performing and the tenderhearted predicament of a boy who yearns for his father’s acceptance. … The neatly wrapped ending is telegraphed from continents away. But even under those rules, Harwood’s already rarefied quality and Butterell’s adept choices … color Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, a high-heeled and glossy romp that’s radical in its loving optimism.