Metacritic reviews

Ms. Ryan’s muted approach may be what we’ve come to expect of looks back at this period — nostalgia always comes with a lot of browns and grays, and with plenty of voice-over (in this case, Marcus’s letters to Homer). But she executes the formula well.

By turns poignant and plodding, affecting and affected, Ithaca is the sort of frustrating movie that’s just good enough to make you wish it were a lot better.

In all, Hanks’ casting feels like a missed opportunity—much like the rest of Ithaca.

Ryan’s debut as a director is a sketchy and starchy film. The memorable thing about the movie is that Hanks, still one of the biggest stars on the planet, stepped up for his “Sleepless in Seattle” and “You’ve Got Mail” partner.

You don’t have to remember the 1943 mid-WWII Oscar winning “The Human Comedy” to realize that Meg Ryan’s version, Ithaca, is missing something.

This movie is resolute about being as homey and obvious as it can possibly be. Somewhere, Norman Rockwell is thinking, “Sheesh, even I was edgier than this.”

That the World War II-era drama Ithaca was directed by actress Meg Ryan may prove the most notable yet least successful thing about this oppressively sentimental journey.

The film is confused in conception, dreary in execution, and completely lacking in forward momentum.

It's the rare film to miss its every mark.