Pumpkin

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Pumpkin

R

2002

2h 1m

Comedy

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

36%

Tomatometer

74 Reviews

57%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Carolyn's (Christina Ricci) sorority sisters set their sights on the Sorority of the Year award and coaching challenged athletes is their ticket to the trophy. But when the queen of formals finds herself mentoring Pumpkin (Hank Harris), a disabled athlete, their two worlds collide.

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Critics Consensus

The messy Pumpkin wastes its premise by not making the satire sharp enough.

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Jay Boyar

Orlando Sentinel

Aug 16, 2002

1/5

This is the sort of Pumpkin that really deserves to be smashed.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Aug 7, 2002

3/4

By presenting an impossible romance in an impossible world, Pumpkin dares us to say why either is impossible -- which forces us to confront what's possible and what we might do to make it so.

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Terry Lawson

Detroit Free Press

Aug 2, 2002

3/4

Though Pumpkin extends its jaundiced joke too far, it's almost worth it for Ricci's final scene, which tells us everything we need to know about what will become of her.

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Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Sep 1, 2020

4.0/4.0

I will acknowledge that I have yet to find any of my friends who've seen this film that truly embraced it on the level that I do.

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Tracy Moore

Common Sense Media

Jul 1, 2014

2/5

Black comedy about disability full of profanity, sex.

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Felix Vasquez Jr.

Cinema Crazed

Apr 29, 2009

One of the worst films of 2002.

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Sandy S

@Sandy2000 Aug 29, 2026

Ricci's greatest film. I've never seen another movie like it.

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Allan C

@RT15713161 Jun 29, 2026

Ricci is great in this HEATHERS wannabe Pumpkin (2002) ***1/2 Christina Ricci is terrific playing against type as a blonde sorority queen who falls for a kind-hearted Special Olympian in this Heathers-wannabe social satire. The film never quite balances its biting commentary on privilege and ableism with its campy tone, but it's clever, funny, and entertaining enough to overcome its uneven execution. SEE LETTERBOXED FOR FULL REVIEW

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Blake- N

@PBSAniDom May 25, 2026

Pumpkin is a romance film that had an interesting premise but ultimately feels pretty forgettable. It tries to balance comedy, drama, and romance, yet never fully succeeds in making any of those elements truly stand out. The performances are decent enough, and there are moments where the film shows some charm. However, the tone often feels uneven, making it difficult to stay emotionally connected to the story or characters. A lot of the humor and emotional scenes feel dated, and the pacing drags in places where the film should have been more engaging. By the end, it leaves very little lasting impact compared to stronger romance films from the same era. Overall, it’s not terrible, but it’s also not especially memorable. I rate it a 5/10—watchable for one viewing, but easy to forget afterward.

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Noah S

@Durk_dingus Jan 29, 2026

It had a good premise but the movie tends to take itself WAY too seriously at times. Maybe thats just how dated the movie is showing through but there were definitely some points where there was so much stuff going on at the same time that quite frankly i didnt know what to focus on.

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Elizabeth L

@RT14592984 Jan 24, 2026

This movie feels so forced, and it adds in so many extra unnecessary elements. It feels like when you add a ton of toppings to ice cream, the toppings arent meshing and overpowering the ice cream.

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Adiya A

@RT38824996 Aug 24, 2024

The filmmaker's sensitive ideas made the film more accessible to more people.

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Adam Larson Broder

Director

Anthony Abrams

Director

Christina Ricci

Carolyn McDuffy

Hank Harris

Pumpkin Romanoff

Brenda Blethyn

Judy Romanoff

Dominique Swain

Jeanine Kryszunsky

CQ

67%

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Synopsis

Carolyn's (Christina Ricci) sorority sisters set their sights on the Sorority of the Year award and coaching challenged athletes is their ticket to the trophy. But when the queen of formals finds herself mentoring Pumpkin (Hank Harris), a disabled athlete, their two worlds collide.

Director: Adam Larson Broder, Anthony Abrams
Producer: Karen Barber, Andrea Sperling, Christina Ricci, Ron Yerxa, Albert Berger
Screenwriter: Adam Larson Broder, Anthony Abrams
Distributor: United Artists, MGM Home Entertainment
Production Co: United Artists, Pumpkin Productions LLC, American Zoetrope
Rating: R (Scene of Sexuality|Language)
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 14, 2002, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $305.7K
Runtime: 2h 1m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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