The Paperboy (2012)

My Review

“The Paperboy” is a crime drama film about a newspaper reporter who returns to his hometown in rural Florida to investigate a murder case involving a death row inmate. Unfortunately, uneven direction by Lee Daniels (“The Butler” 2013) turns a promising premise into an uneven melodrama. The screenplay by Daniels and Pete Dexter is unmitigated gibberish, adapted from Dexter’s 1995 novel of the same name.

The cast includes atrocious performances by Matthew McConaughey, Zac Efron, David Oyelowo, Nicole Kidman, John Cusack, Scott Glenn, Macy Gray, Ned Bellamy, Nealla Gordon, Kevin Waterman, and Danny Hanemann as Sheriff Call. “The Paperboy” was a massive failure at the box office for producer Lee Daniels, Nu Image, Lee Daniels Entertainment, and Millennium Films.

The Alliance of Women Film Journalists nominated Nicole Kidman for their award for “Actress Most in Need of a New Agent.”