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Avg. Critic Score: 63 out of 100 Generally favorable reviews Metascore® based on all critic reviews
Information for Parents:
14 Iffy for 14+
Read Common Sense Media review

Critic scores range from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating more favorable reviews.

  • 83
    Entertainment Weekly | Lisa Schwarzbaum

    It's as if the star (Douglas) finally gets to integrate all his onscreen personas, all at once. Read full review

  • 75
    Rolling Stone | Peter Travers

    In updating Shakespeare's "The Tempest," writer-director Mike Cahill focuses on the magic worth finding between a father and daughter. That's why the film sticks with you. It's a gift. Read full review

  • 75
    San Francisco Chronicle | Walter Addiego

    Mike Cahill's King of California reminds me of those '70s-era pictures beloved of the counterculture about appealing rebels who go down in flames of moral victory. Read full review

  • 75
    Philadelphia Inquirer | Carrie Rickey

    The treasure of the film is the unearthing of the family bond, magically played by Douglas and Wood. Read full review

  • 75
    Chicago Sun-Times | Roger Ebert

    When you stand back a step from the movie, you admire Douglas and Wood for starting with potentially unplayable characters, and playing them so well we actually care about a quest that, in a way, seems more designed for Abbott and Costello. Read full review

  • 70
    Variety |

    Douglas is a manic joy, and Wood manages to hang on for the ride. Read full review

  • 70
    Los Angeles Times | Carina Chocano

    The strange, funny and sad story of a bipolar jazz musician and his long-suffering teenage daughter, reunited after his two-year stay in a mental institution. Read full review

  • 63
    Boston Globe | Ty Burr

    A flaky, tedious, intermittently likable fable about being crazy in a crazy world. Read full review

  • 60
    The New York Times | Stephen Holden

    King of California may look and feel realistic, but it is really a Don Quixote-like fable about nonconformity and pursuing your impossible dream to the very end. Read full review

  • 40
    Washington Post | Desson Thomson

    There's so little authenticity between them, it destroys the story's most crucial element: the love between father and daughter. And finding the gold becomes our only reason to watch. Read full review

View more reviews for King of California on Metacritic

Information for Parents
Common Sense Media says Iffy for 14+ Quirky dramedy mixes humor and mature themes.
What Parents Need to Know Parents need to know that this indie drama features mature themes about mental illness and parent-child relationships. The main character is a manic depressive who has just been released from a mental institution, and his 16-year-old daughter has quit school and works double shifts to support herself and her dad. There are a few curse words (including a couple of "f--k"s), a little smoking and drinking, one brief kiss, and a disturbing image of a suicide attempt.
  • Families can talk about why Miranda supports her dad's quest. Should she have tried to stop him? Is theirs a typical parent-child relationship? What other movies and TV shows can you think of that have featured similar situations? Families can also discuss product placement. Costco and McDonald's are prominently featured in the film. Did that add to or detract from the story for you? Why?
The good stuff
  • message true0 Positive messages: While breaking and entering is an unconventional -- not to mention illegal -- form of bonding between fathers and daughters, the theme of the film is to love and trust your parents, no matter how crazy they might seem.
What to watch for
  • violence false3 Violence: A disturbing flashback shows Charlie trying to hang himself on a chandelier.
  • sex false3 Sex: Charlie flirts with a female police officer, who is later shown leaving his house early in the morning. He kisses her and smacks her on the rear end. Miranda attends a "swingers" party, but no swinging is shown.
  • language false3 Language: A couple of "f--k"s, plus "s--t" and "a--hole."
  • consumerism false3 Consumerism: Costco is prominently featured, as is McDonald's; eBay and Volvo also appear.
  • drugsalcoholtobacco false3 Drinking, drugs and smoking: Charlie and Pepper smoke cigarettes; Charlie drinks alcohol alone; Miranda is told she's drinking a "virgin" cocktail at a party, but she later feels dizzy and throws up.
An independent nonprofit dedicated to providing families the information they need to help kids thrive in a world of media and technology. © Common Sense Media Inc. 2010. All rights reserved.

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