GAMES: GameSpot | GameFAQs | SportsGamer MUSIC: Last.fm | MP3.com MOVIES: Metacritic | Movietome TV: TV.com
Home | About Metacritic | About Metascores | What's New | Wireless Versions | Discussion Forums | Advertising Inquiries | Contact Us | RSS
Metacritic.com: We Deal With Criticism
     Help
> Switch to Advanced Search  
Film Video/DVD Music Games TV

Television

2008 Fall Season
2008 Summer Season
2007-08 Midseason
2007 Fall Season
2007 Summer Season
2006-07 Midseason
2006 Fall Season
2006 Summer Season
2005-06 Midseason
2005 Fall Season
Best Of 2007
Best Of 2006
Best Of 2005
How Metascores Are Calculated
Discuss TV In Our Forums

 

Upcoming & Recent Movies & Specials

Filth 72
PBS, 11/16

Ricky Gervais: Out of England 61
HBO, 11/15

 

Upcoming & Recent Series Premieres

Top Chef Season Five 75
Bravo, Wednesday

Summer Heights High 67
HBO, Sunday

Whale Wars 71
Animal Planet, Friday

Law & Order Season 19 74
NBC, Wednesday

Brotherhood Season Three 75
Showtime, Sunday

 



Printer-Friendly Version Email This Page Discuss In Our Forums

Life Support
MOVIE: HBO, Saturday 3/10 at 8:00p (90 minutes)

Life Support
Critic Score
Metascore: 77 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
8.3 out of 10
based on 9 reviews
read critic reviews
how did we calculate this?
based on 6 votes
read user comments
rate this tv show

Starring Queen Latifah, Anna Deavere Smith, Wendell Pierce, Rachel Nicks, Evan Ross, Darrin Dewitt Henson, Gloria Reuben, and Tracee Ellis Ross

This topical, made-for-HBO movie deals with AIDS in the African-American community, centering on Queen Latifah as a wife, mother and AIDS activist who is HIV-positive herself. It's not the downer you'd think it would be.

GENRE(S): Drama
FIRST AIR DATE: March 10, 2007

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

90
Los Angeles Times Robert Lloyd
What is remarkable about "Life Support" is how it avoids every pitfall of the standard issue-based TV film and, indeed, of most TV films, period.
Read Full Review
90
Baltimore Sun David Zurawik
While the social work done by Life Support is exemplary, the production more than stands on its own as entertainment.
Read Full Review
80
Orlando Sentinel Hal Boedeker
The whole cast works at a fierce level.
Read Full Review
80
Newsday Diane Werts
This impressive fact-based debut from cultural journalist turned director Nelson George keeps us captivated simply by honing in tight on the character of its people, sketching in fine detail not just their admirable strengths but their all-too-human flaws.
Read Full Review
80
San Jose Mercury News Charlie McCollum
A richly drawn, unflinchingly real and quietly moving family drama.
Read Full Review
75
New York Post Adam Buckman
Watching Latifah's performance is the single greatest pleasure of watching this 90-minute movie.
Read Full Review
70
Boston Globe Matthew Gilbert
You feel as if you're right there in the room with the characters for a time, during which their true selves emerge slowly but surely.
Read Full Review
70
LA Weekly Robert Abele
It’s a testament to George’s confident handling of the material... that while it touches on many elements of the national crisis... the project avoids feeling like a bulletin-board movie.
Read Full Review
60
The New York Times Virginia Heffernan
When this complex question about memory, identity, reality and generations of women supplies the suspense of the film, “Life Support” really gets good.
Read Full Review

What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this tv show is 8.3 (out of 10) based on 6 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

Morgan M gave it a10:
wounderful... queen latifah is my favorite actress and she makes this serise even better!

J Scotti gave it a4:
This movie beats you over the head with its themes. Nearly every single scene is about how the main character was on crack and has AIDS, and any scene that isn't about both of these things is about one of them. I understand the movie is about drug use, disease, forgiveness, etc. but the plot makes these characters seem two dimensional. I hope if I ever contract AIDS that every conversation in my life from that point on will not be about how I have AIDS.

Esther gave it a10:
I will watch it again just to enjoy all the performances. By far the best television I have seen in a long time.

amy b gave it a10:
it was very moving, and i couldnt move an inch from the tv.

d blake gave it an8:
It's easy to forget about the challenges of living with AIDS particularly when there are so many distractions. On the other hand, Life Support that goes beyond the tragedy of the week story to present what life is like in the African American community where AIDS has ravaged multiple generations. Life Support tells one family's story with wit and passion. Queen Latifah heads a cast of well known African American performers. This the type of thoughtful responsible productions that deserve to be supported. )

Discuss this tv show in our forums

Return to top of page
Home | FILM | DVD/VIDEO | MUSIC | GAMES | TV | Forums | About Metacritic metacritic.com

Popular on CBS sites: MLB | Spore | iPhone 3G | Paris Hilton | Antivirus Software | GPS | Recipes | Shwayze | NFL

About CBS Interactive | Jobs | Advertise

© 2008 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. | Privacy Policy | Terms of Use