The film was neither a commercial nor a critical success. The Razzie Awards declared "Shining Through" the Worst Picture of 1992, with Melanie Griffith being voted Worst Actress (also for her performance in "A Stranger Among Us") and David Seltzer for Worst Director. It also received nominations for Michael Douglas as Worst Actor (also for "Basic Instinct") and for Seltzer in the category of Worst Screenplay. The film holds a 44% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 16 reviews. Audiences surveyed by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "B+" on scale of A+ to F.