Walk of Shame

Urban dictionary defines a "walk of shame" as: The walk home after a one night stand. Further extrapolated the female usually wears either the clothes she went out in the night before (i.e. short skirt / sexy little dress and heels) or the clothing of the person she slept with (i.e. a large white t-shirt) the morning after.

Critics universally panned Walk of Shame upon its release in 2014, but the reviews from audience members was decidedly mixed ranging from 5 stars to 1/2 star. The Rotten Tomato critics were harsh in their opinions, as was the critic from Variety. Reviewers on Amazon were much more positive in their rating,s while regular audience reviews on Rotten Tomato ranged all over the place. Read the reviews below and then make your own decision as to whether you want to watch Walk of Shame on Netflix.

I thought it was pretty hilarious the first time I saw it. Do you remember where you were when this movie was first released? Did you see Walk of Shame in a movie theater or later when Walk of Shame was available on a DVD. I happened to see Walk of Shame in a NYC theater with a group of friends. Taking our cue from Meghan Miles' Dark Knight crazed (always wearing Batman gear), cool brother, we decided that it was going to be a Batman clothes themed movie night. We just wanted our wardrobes to stand out from the rest of the teen audience. Since the weather was beginning to turn colder, I couldn't decide which of my Batman T shirts I should wear with which Batman hoodie. Really! I had just bought them at this very cool online site and wanted to show them off. Actually I buy all my Batman apparel at my fav Batman T shirt store. Well you know how teenagers are. The e commerce store still exists. I like the fact that they are organized not only by image, but also by product to make browsing easier. I just clicked on their "Batman shirts" pic and boom there are all the selections. They also break down the shirts by image categories so if you wanted a t shirt with a Batman logo or other signal they are easy to find. I wore a DC Comic design called Sketchy Shadows featuring a black and white sketch of Batman on his knees with skeleton shadows in the background. Some wise kid in the audience yelled when he saw the group of us that we were at the wrong movie. We were pleased for the attention but we really just ignored him. Wearing Batman clothing certainly invited a lot of opportunities to engage with other moviegoers while we waited online. Needless to say everyone was curious about our sartorial choices, the sublimated colorful high rez prints really do stand out. Of course once the lights went down and Walk of Shame started it didn't matter what you were wearing. Perhaps we should have all worn something bright yellow instead to show solidarity with Elizabeth Banks' character, who was def not a super hero.

 

Title: Walk of Shame
Released: 2014
Duration: 95 min.
Director: Steven Brill
Script: Steven Brill
Music: John Debney
Photographs: Jonathan Brown
Cast: Elizabeth Banks , James Marsden , Gillian Jacobs , Sarah Wright , Ethan Suplee ,Oliver Hudson , Willie Garson , Kevin Nealon , Bill Burr , Tig Notaro , Vic the Chao ,Lawrence Gilliard Jr. , PJ Byrne , Ken Davitian , Alphonso McAuley
Studio: Sidney Kimmel Entertainment / FilmDistrict / Lakeshore Entertainment
Gender: Comedy | TV . Journalism

 

Reviews from Rotten Tomato

TomatoMeter: 12% Critics | 38% Audience

Critics Consensus: Incoherent, unfunny, and borderline misogynist, Walk of Shame lives up to its title for filmgoers entering and leaving the theater.

+++

****
cookies1232
April 29, 2016
This movie was very funny. Very good, silly story. Elizabeth Banks was perfect in this movie!! She gave a flat-out great performance!!

+++

***
Neal S.
½August 24, 2015
What we have here, I suspect, is a hall of shame of critics whose sexist bias prevents them from accepting an extremely beautiful, sexy woman playing such a zany, assertive, resourceful character. Get over it. Replace Elizabeth Banks with Ben Stiller and watch the ratings soar.

+++

***
Matt H.
August 22, 2015
I'm very surprised. Not only is Walk of Shame not a complete fail, it's actually not so bad. The story itself is pretty farfetched (as it sets out to be), but Banks makes you root for her character by adding just enough charm and sweetness to the role. Yes, there are stereotypes and clichés running amok here, but this kind of movie doesn't work without familiar characters.

+++

****
bluesette65
½May 30, 2015
> This is a great, funny & very entertaining comedy - idk why it's got low ratings but clearly something is a miss! Story is funny & if u live in LA you can totally see this happening....lol!

+++


*****
samg
May 29, 2015
Wow. Twelve Per Cent? Really? This strikes me (us) as bordering upon the surreal!

Is this some kind of critic-mediated politically-inspired censure against Steve Brill? LIGHTEN UP, PEOPLE!!

My wife and I got several belly laughs from this film (currently being aired on HBO), and are baffled by the hostility shown to it on this forum. In fact I was compelled to re-ignite my old membership here just to post this. Misogynistic? Cultural stereotypes?

Well, the latter admittedly somewhat, but it's a COMEDY! The stereotypes aren't mean or offensive. In fact, for example, the trio of (yes, African American--how inappropriate) crack dealers are portayed sympathetically and, yes, humorously. (Another neighbourhood features a quipping, white crack dealer) Where are the "critics'" humour in this admittedly light fare?

Banks proves herself a very adept comedic actress, carrying much of the movie solo. She also greatly resembles Jane Fonda in her prime, which is saying a lot (sorry if that somehow offends some sensibilities). It's merely a farcical comedy, the plot adequately described in previous posts, that paces itself quite well, is sharply written, with a sympathetic and, actually, believable lead surrounded by some terrific supporting cast members.

The "message" of the movie, if a raison d'etre is needed besides being a comedic tour de force, boils down to, essentially, that one mustn't judge based solely upon appearances. Nothing too threatening or somehow inappropriate about that. I also appreciate that the plot is based upon the fact that--let's face it--most young women dressed up these days to go night-clubbing do indeed resemble, yes, prostitutes. Consequently, this film can be seen as a sly, ANTI-misogynist protest against the over-sexualization and consequent objectification of women!

Additionally, this comedy lacks any scatological or other low-brow humour, which seems to be increasingly popular these days, unfortunately, and actually is aimed at an adult audience.

Given the mediocrity and sophomoricity (if that's a word...) of much of what passes for "comedy" these days, it's unfortunate that this movie did so poorly at the box office, and it upsets me that, had we seen the poor ratings on this forum beforehand, my wife and I might well have passed on an enjoyable 90 minutes watching it!

Sure, it's not high art (although the last minute actually DOES feature a gorgeous, slow, helicopter-shot tilt upwards to the LA sunset), and makes no pretension to be, but as a somewhat silly, genuinely funny farcical and romantic comedy, it works perfectly well!


+++

**
Anthony D
July 21, 2013
My 'Walk of Shame' was sticking with this movie; a groaner of one cliche after another however it lightened my mood and Elizabeth Banks is delightful in a Marc Jacobs dress.

+++

**
Ramona S
April 5, 2015
No Oscar-winner that's for sure, but a lot of laughs by a very likable cast. Good, casual watch on a lazy night.

+++

*
Aaron C.
March 3, 2015
Riddled with stale stereotypes and unfunny jokes, Elizabeth Banks give it her all, but it's not enough to save the disjointed narrative of Walk of Shame from being a boring and forgettable movie

+++

1/2*
whojunior
February 23, 2015
The creators of whatever this is would like you to feel sorry for Elizabeth Banks' character, Megan Miles, for the "comic" mishaps she runs into. What actually happens after about 20 minutes is that you feel sorry for Banks herself, because she apparently actually thought that this 90 minutes of absolute disaster would do anything but completely bludgeon her once " promising career.

+++

***
Cre8ivity
February 17, 2015
Awwww, disappointed to see the low-ratings on this, I can only assume people expected more, but really?? While not award-winning, it was light-hearted and slap-sticky, just like it should be! Banks was adorable as always and always love seeing Lawrence, aka Stookey :)!

+++

***
Brandon N
February 16, 2015
What you'd expect from this type of movie. All the different characters and actors were fun and kept me entertained. Bill Burr and Bryan Callen were great.

+++

A Scathing Film Review from Variety

 

Scott Foundas Chief Film Critic Variety
May 2, 2014
Not even the fleet comic footwork of Elizabeth Banks can save this vile, unfunny stab at screwball farce. Watching the redoubtable Elizabeth Banks try to breathe life into the stillborn farce “Walk of Shame” is like watching a team of paramedics perform CPR on the corpse of Ulysses S. Grant. Indeed, it’s an ill-tempered housecat who elicits just about the only real laugh in writer-director Steven Brill’s hapless mash-up of “The Hangover” and “After Hours,” an erstwhile FilmDistrict title (originally slated for release last September) being dumped by Focus into a handful of theaters concurrent with its VOD debut. Banks deserves far better, to say nothing of the audience.

As she ably demonstrated in “The 40-Year-Old Virgin,” “Role Models” and “Slither,” Banks is a first-rate comedienne with real screwball elan, which makes it all the more disappointing that this seemingly tailor-made star vehicle is such a bust. You can’t blame the actress, who gives it her all (and then some) as Los Angeles newscaster Meghan Miles, whose personal and professional lives seem to go up in smoke in the course of a single day. Ditched by her fiancee and passed over for a promotion to the network anchor desk, Meghan resolves to drown her sorrows during a raucous girls night out with her two BFFs (Gillian Jacobs and Sarah Wright Olsen) — a night that ends with Meghan in the comforting arms of a handsome bartender/“postmodern romantic fiction” writer (James Marsden).When all hope seems lost, Meghan gets a message from her producer that the network job is back in play. But in her hasty scramble, Meghan finds herself locked out of her new beau’s downtown apartment sans phone, purse or car and must find her way back to civilization (and the news desk) — clad in a skin-tight, banana-yellow dress and stiletto heels. That dress — about the only thing in this grimy-looking movie that qualifies as a visual idea — proves to be a crucial impediment, causing Meghan to be mistaken for a stripper/hooker by a lecherous taxi driver (“Borat” sidekick Ken Davitian), a couple of bumbling cops (Ethan Suplee and Bill Burr) and a trio of kindly crack dealers (Lawrence Gilliard Jr., Alphonso Mcauley and Da’vone McDonald). If that joke isn’t especially funny or inspired the first time around, by the sixth time it has become a kind of comic waterboarding.

Most of Meghan’s journey takes her through stretches of South and Central L.A., which Brill (“Little Nicky,” “Drillbit Taylor”) renders as the exclusive domain of addicts, dealers, pimps and other assorted vagrants, nearly all played by actors of color in a movie whose race politics are just this side of Donald Sterling’s. Marsden, who proved his own formidable comic chops in “Enchanted” and “Anchorman 2,” seems relieved to be spared the brunt of the movie’s humiliations, relegated to periodic reaction shots as he follows Banks’ breadcrumb trail with Jacobs and Olsen in tow.


Reviews from Amazon

 

4.0 stars
Nothing Shameful About This Entertaining Movie
By D.Grubkaon / May 6, 2014
Banks plays Meghan Miles, a Los Angeles newscaster who is up for a promotion. When she's dumped by her fiance, her best friends take her out to a bar, when she ends up going home with handsome bartender Gordon (James Marsden). What seems simple enough - sneaking out of his place without waking him - turns into a comedy of errors when she finds her car has been towed, and she is left without money or a cell phone. So begins her often hilarious 'walk of shame' as she attempts to find help in all the wrong places and gets mixed up with a motley crew of sordid characters. Sure, there's nothing extraordinary here, but if it's comedy you want, definitely check this out. Elizabeth Banks is a likable lead, and Gillian Jacobs & Sarah Wright Olsen are amusing as her best friends. Marsden isn't given much to do here, but he's a pro as usual even in his limited role.

+++

3.0 stars
Funny but generic. Worth watching when you just want to relax and zone out. The scene with the drug dealers is great.
By Tony Heckon / June 15, 2014
"I'm never doing shots again." Meghan Miles (Banks) is having a bad day. First she finds out the promotion she is trying for was given to someone else. When she goes home she finds her boyfriend has moved out and taken most of the stuff. Her friends show up to take her out and cheer her up. Meghan decides to leave early but gets stuck (literally) and meets Gordon (Marsden). The two wind up at his place for the night. When she gets a call the next morning informing her that she still has a chance at the job she is excited and heads home to change. On the way she has to deal with drug dealers (the best part), cops, kids, religious temples, an impound lot and the carpacolypse. This is a funny movie and I am glad I watched it but really it is kind of generic. Sometimes though it is nice to watch something that you don't have to think about and this is one of those movies that fits that description. Almost right away you know how the movie will end and you do stay one step ahead the entire time but you still laugh and enjoy yourself as you watch. There really isn't a whole lot to say about this other then it is a good time and it is nice to watch a mindless comedy every once in a while. Overall, funny but generic. Worth watching when you just want to relax and zone out. I give it a B.

+++

4.0 stars
A minor classic!
By Michael GMon / May 17, 2014
This is a great little movie. I suspect in particular the little yellow dress will live on in infamy. What I like about it, as some people have mentioned here and elsewhere is the movie's seemingly old fashioned respect for plot, character and dialog writing. The comparison to Blake Edwards, in particular his first two Pink Panther movies, is right on also. There are no cheap laughs. There are characters which could be stereotypical but turn out to have some dimension to them. A little heavy on the sexual references, perhaps, but not heavy handed in the way that too many movies are these days. And it gives Elizabeth Banks, the hardest working woman in Hollywood, her first starring vehicle. There will be more, both comic and dramatic, It is a movie you can simply sit back and enjoy watching the story unfolding before your eyes. Some nice supporting turns by Ethan Supple, Gillian Jacobs and Kevin Nealon in particular round out the movie. It's a good movie. Sorry that some people and most of the critical reviews I have read don't like it.

+++

4.0 stars
Surprisingly Hilarious!
By Mr.Sinisteron / September 26, 2014
I bought Walk Of Shame on a whim. I don't know, it was cheap and it looked kinda funny. Pleasant surprise, it was totally funny.

Meghan Miles (Elizabeth Banks) is a local TV reporter with dreams of going bigtime. After an interview with a large network, the squeaky-clean Miles is one of two candidates in the running. When she isn't chosen, Meghan lets her friend talk her into stepping out on the town for an all-out ragger to erase her mind from the missed opportunity and the fact that her boyfriend has left her and taken pretty much most of the things they shared in her house. Shot after shot after shot. Meghan is on a roll at a local club. When she steps out to use the bathroom, she realizes that the inadvertently walked out the back door and is now stuck on the fire escape with her heel imbedded in the grate. Along comes here rescuer, Gordon (James Marsden), the club's bartender, who gets her shoe uncaught and leads her off the fire escape unscathed. Noticing how intoxicated she is, Gordon offers to call her a cab. Meghan wants to get her car and go home and Gordon decides to drive her car then take a cab back to his own place. Wrong. The couple wind up at his place where the party continues (this segment of the movie is absolutely hilarious). Waking up the next morning with no memory of what she had done and where she was, Meghan gathers her belongings (including an infamous yellow dress she had borrowed from one of her friends) and escapes Gordon's apartment, only to discover that her car has been towed. What to do? Being in downtown LA and finding out that she is actually still being considered for the big network job, Meghan decides to set out on her own to try and find her car which has her purse in it. Only thing is, she left her cell phone back at Gordon's place. Yikes! Her adventure begins with the cops rousting her as a prostitute. From there she meets a team of crack dealing urbanites. And the hits just keep on coming!

This is one of those delightfully insane movies that takes place in the span of 24 hours. There are hilarious scenes and situations and you need to suspend your disbelief a little here and there. Overall, definitely worth the watch. I couldn't stop laughing. Charming and depraved and yet just enough of each to get the mixture just right.
Dig it!

+++

4.0 stars
Worth a rent
By Iron Agedon / May 2, 2014
I liked it. Its nothing new. Tina Fey and Steve Carrell just did a story just like this called "Date Night". Its about the same, although I think I enjoyed this one a little more. It seemed more adventurous. Elizabeth Banks is likable for the most part although at some point her character is a little dumb, approaching people like a crazy lady and expecting help. And they wrap it up a bit to easy but overall I really enjoyed it. Good for a Saturday night rental.

+++

5. stars
Must See So Funny!
By Jon / May 15, 2014
I burst into the church like a ball of flame, the only hall of fame I will be inducted to is the alcohol hall of fame on the wall of shame!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok Elizabeth Banks is awesome sauce. The movie starts out a little slow however when the party gets crankin is where the fun starts. With that being said it is a feel good happy, mishap at every turn and she just can't catch a break even though she does when she makes it out of every mishap situation she is thrown into. This is a five star movie. The first minute of outtakes will have you laughing so hard it hurts. You'll wanna watch the outtakes at the beginning twice.

This is about a woman trying to get her dream job. Her boyfriend breaks up with her, she doesn't get the job, but then he does get the job and she's gotta make it from one side of the city to the next with no phone, no money, no purse no nothing, in yes that hot yellow dress.
Must see! So funny!

+++

 

This was the official website created for the promoting the 2014 comedy Walk of Shame staring Elizabeth Banks. After the movie's promotional machine ceased, the site's usefulness was over. Its domain registration eventually expired

When I recently discovered that the site's domain was available, I bought walkofshamefilm.com with the goal of recreating the site from its archived pages. Unfortunately there was little content. So I have posted reviews when the film was initially released and movie stills and posters. I watched Walk of Shame from a Netflix DVD. Obviously with a comedy the viewer has to suspend his/her disbelief here and there. But I did get some laughs at the silliness. And I am an Elizabeth Banks fan. I definitely didn't want someone else purchasing the domain and re-purposing it for something that had nothing in common with the original film which often occurs when someone buys a ranking website whose domain has expired. But that wasn't my intension.

 

WalkOfShameFilm.com