1. Generally Jenkins shows few rookie jitters, and she got excellent performances from the rest of her cast.
2. It covers some serious topics about adolescence, but it does it with a wink and a knowing nod; some things that are tragic when you're 14 are quite funny in hindsight.
3. This zany comedy written and directed by Tamara Jenkins is filled with humorous takes on sexuality in the 1970s.
4. Ultimately it's all a bit predictable -- the cyclical story more or less ends where it begins -- but it's nevertheless a charming and delightful romp, with keen observations about character, time and place.
5. What lifts this brash comedy above the vulgar herd is Tamara Jenkins in a heartfelt feature debut as writer and director.
6. It's hard for me to sympathize with people I don't like, and except for Lyonne's character I didn't like anyone in the story.
7. Lyonne is a natural, and clearly a young actress to watch.
8. Terrific performances from Alan Arkin and Natasha Lyonne dominate this engrossing look at a financially strapped Jewish family trying to survive despite their penury.
9. There's an alchemy that can transform personal experience into a great film, but it was nowhere nearby when Tamara Jenkins wrote and directed this lacklustre first feature.
10. Refreshingly real.
Based on these individual reviews, what is the critic consensus?
Warm, real, and hilarious.