REVIEWS
Read what critics, actors and other people have to say about Madeline
- "If it clicks with audiences, I suspect it'll be because of Carroll, who really is a fine young actress and doesn't push a single scene. Even when her cohorts do."
Michael Phillips - Article ------
- "Madeline Carroll and Callan McAuliffe, who both look teeth-achingly vulnerable, are sincere and pure and wholesome, and are characters we believe can be hurt. "
Roger Ebert - Article ------
- "Carroll’s Juli is iridescent, lighting up every scene she’s in."
Marshall Fine - Article ------
- "Madeline Carroll was a revelation in "Swing Vote". She's perfectly cast as the girl who's just odd enough that she could seem embarrassing, just plain enough that one might not see how really pretty she can be once you've gained her admiration."
Laura Clifford - Article ------
- "Madeline Carroll (2008's "Swing Vote") is a lovely young actress who, at fourteen, brings the sort of depth to her character of Juli that many performers twice or three times her age often have trouble pulling off."
Dustin Putman - Article ------
- "Like he did in Stand By Me, Reiner has brilliantly cast the picture, this time with the irresistible Carroll (Swing Vote) playing the older Juli with grace and spunk"
Pete Hammond - Article ------
- "Carroll, as the single-minded Juli, is an unaffected actress who radiates smarts, and her beamy rapport with Quinn is a touching evocation of fathers and daughters' mutual-appreciation society."
Kimberley Jones - Article ------
- "Juli (Madeline Caroll, excellent) loves Bryce (Callan McAuliffe, also excellent) from the moment his family moves in across the street."
L.A. Weekly Film Critics - Article ------
- "Carroll is such a standout. She's the reason to see this film. She captures the girl's headstrong nature and intelligence without shying away from her sweetness. "
Bob Tremblay - Article ------
- "Carroll and McAuliffe are strikingly competent actors for such a young age. They manage to carry the entire film, and we come to honestly care for both of them --- wanting them to be together and to be happy teenagers in love"
Kaplan & Kaplan - Article ------
- "The two young actors, Carroll and McAuliffe, are so good here that we never think of them as anything but real characters."
Kaplan & Kaplan - Article ------
- "because of Carroll's extraordinary acting skills, we can easily see Juli's feelings mirrored in her reactions to the uninterested neighbor boy Bryce."
Kimberly Gadette - Article ------
- "Madeline Carroll's radiant performance..."
Kimberly Gadette - Article ------
- "Reiner remains an estimable director of actors; the two young leads are perfect."
Lou Lumenick - Article ------
- "the lively lead presence of Madeline Carroll and Callan McAuliffe, two young talents who make the movie better"
Peter Howell - Article ------
- It is a charming, tender film, and both of the young performers do tremendous work. Madeline Carroll was very good in the underseen "Swing Vote" as Kevin Costner's daughter, but this is the film that's going to give her the rest of her career. She demonstrates a strength of character that is uncommon for someone her age, and it's a real performance she gives, with real nuance.
Drew McWeeny - Article ------
- For his part, Chan was particularly impressed by 13-year-old costar Madeline Carroll, with whom he shared some of the film's more dramatic moments. "I think she's a born actress. She doesn't have to pretend. At the end, I'm going away, she comes up to me: 'You have to stay, Bob has to stay,' and the tears just come down immediately. I was shocked. Second take, third take, fourth take, continue. Acting with her, I'm so comfortable because she's helping my English.
Jackie Chan - Article ------
- “There is a lot of humor to be had here as the film is very entertaining, both Costner and Carroll play great roles here. Due to these two performances alone, I definitely recommend this film, as it provides some great family entertainment.”
dbtechno - Article ------
- “The best thing in his life is his pre-teen daughter (the wonderful Madeline Carroll in an award-calibre performance).”
Bruce Kirkland - Article ------
- “Swing Vote has warmth and charm, qualities enhanced by Madeline Carroll, a 12-year-old actress of range and maturity, as Bud's wise daughter Molly. Hers would be the week's best acting performance if not for Kristin Scott Thomas in I've Loved You So Long.”
David Gritten - Article ------
- “... newcomer Madeline Carroll is that rare thing ...”
Tim Evans - Article ------
- “Madeline Carroll, 11, is cute, funny and sympathetic as Molly without being too precocious. Like young actresses Abigail Breslin and Dakota Fanning, she seems like a real kid and does a commendable job in her first major movie role.”
Joe Holleman - Article ------
- “... newcomer Madeline Carroll strikes just the right note as Molly ...”
Matthew Turner - Article ------
- “... a terrific performance from Simi Valley newcomer Madeline Carroll as Molly ...”
Jean Lowerison - Article ------
- “Carroll is a breath of fresh air and pretty much steals the film. ...”
Louise Keller - Article ------
- “While Swing Vote isn’t Oscar-material, Carroll should be considered without question for a Best Supporting Actress nomination. The film keeps you smiling, and she is responsible 90% of the time.”
Aric Mitchell - Article ------
- “Carroll is mesmerizing. Remove her from this film, and there is a large void. With her, you’re pulling for Bud to conquer his demons and make the right decision every step of the way. Every disappointment he brings her breaks off a little piece of your heart. Carroll’s Molly is patient and hopeful with her kind alcoholic father, even though she must constantly prod him to take her to school and be to work on time.”
Aric Mitchell - Article ------
- “The real story, though, is the emergence of Madeline Carroll. The 12-year-old actress orders Costner around like a drill sergeant, verbally bloodies Tucci's nose, and ruthlessly zings Lane. She also serves as both the film's heart and its brains. Among this accomplished cast, Carroll steals the show.”
Jeff Marker - Article ------
- “But Madeline Carroll’s turn in “Swing Vote” is worth the price of admission. With the talented Abigail Breslin getting many of the choice roles and showing that their’s a market for girl driven narratives, Miss Carroll might provide another solid alternative for Hollywood casting directors.”
Jonathan W. Hickman - Article ------
- “Costner really made you believe in that role. His counterpoint though, was his daughter, played brilliantly by Madeline Carroll. This girl is 13 years old and outshines over everyone in the entire film. When she first came on screen, I immediately had that Dakota Fanning/Abigail Breslin vibe, but she really shined on her own. Her character was so down to earth and just worked perfectly with Costner's stupidity. It was the perfect YING/YANG situation.”
Kevin McCarthy - Article ------
- “His most redeeming quality, by far, is his daughter, Molly (dazzling newcomer Madeline Carroll), a precocious, over-achieving 12-year-old with wisdom far beyond her years.”
Brandon Fibbs - Article ------
- “Carroll is a charming screen presence…”
Nell Minow - Article ------
- “Bud (Kevin Costner) and Molly Johnson (gifted newcomer Madeline Carroll) assume Hollywood's textbook father-daughter duo”
Sean O'Connell - Article ------
- “The picture's message is admirable and young Madeline Carroll exhibits real acting chops …”
Laura Clifford - Article ------
- “Kid actors can make or break a movie. Overly precocious, they're annoying and manipulative. Sincere and intelligent, they can charm the socks off an audience. Consider this audience socks-less—Carroll is fantastic as the tic-free and lovable Molly.”
Dezhda Gaubert - Article ------
- “Madeline Carroll (2007's "Resident Evil: Extinction") is nothing if not confident and charismatic as the intelligent, put-upon Molly.”
Dustin Putman - Article ------
- “Madeline Carroll shines as Molly, a responsible little girl who helps her dad grow up.”
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat - Article ------
- “… 12-year-old daughter, played—and very well—by Madeline Carroll …”
Michael Phillips - Article ------
- “Young Madeline Carroll is splendid in the role, which during some stretches of the film, is really the lead. She's clear-eyed and outspoken, has faith in her dad and despite his drinking, loves living with him.”
Roger Ebert - Article ------
- “The 12-year-old actress Madeline Carroll is terrific, easily holding her own among the more experienced cast members, and really selling the emotions in a crucial scene where she expresses her love for her screw-up father to her school class.”
Eric D. Snider - Article ------
- “Madeline Carroll, a pint-size Ellen Page in training …”
Lisa Schwarzbaum - Article ------
- “…Madeline Carroll, appealing and talented…”
Katey Rich - Article ------
- “A father-daughter drama is mixed in, aided considerably by the charms of newcomer Madeline Carroll as Costner's 12-year-old daughter, long-suffering yet wise and intelligent - the obvious grown-up in the family.”
Bill Goodykoontz - Article ------
- "I’ll be shocked if Madeline Carroll [who plays Kevin Costner’s daughter] doesn’t win an Academy Award. She’s the best child actor I’ve ever seen."
Chris Matthews, MSNBC - Article ------
- Standing sturdily at the center of this maelstrom is Molly, and it is an engaging, plucky performance by young Madeline Carroll. "She was our X-factor," Costner told me. "Where was she going to come from? We found this very natural talent, and when you take a natural talent and you put it in a script with an IQ, even though it's a zany little comedy, that's the perfect blend. You have the words written, but you need someone who can inhabit those words, because being cute is not enough. Something else has to happen."
Roger Ebert - Article ------
- The acting was good, too. Costner plays against stereotype and put on a believable, likeable loser. The movie is really held together, though, by the acting of Madeline Carroll, who plays Bud’s precocious daughter, Molly. If she wasn’t such a good actress none of this would’ve been remotely believable. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of her.
Mark Turner - Article ------
- "If it clicks with audiences, I suspect it'll be because of Carroll, who really is a fine young actress and doesn't push a single scene. Even when her cohorts do."
Michael Phillips - Article ------
- "Madeline Carroll and Callan McAuliffe, who both look teeth-achingly vulnerable, are sincere and pure and wholesome, and are characters we believe can be hurt. "
Roger Ebert - Article ------
- "Carroll’s Juli is iridescent, lighting up every scene she’s in."
Marshall Fine - Article ------
- "Madeline Carroll was a revelation in "Swing Vote". She's perfectly cast as the girl who's just odd enough that she could seem embarrassing, just plain enough that one might not see how really pretty she can be once you've gained her admiration."
Laura Clifford - Article ------
- "Madeline Carroll (2008's "Swing Vote") is a lovely young actress who, at fourteen, brings the sort of depth to her character of Juli that many performers twice or three times her age often have trouble pulling off."
Dustin Putman - Article ------
- "Like he did in Stand By Me, Reiner has brilliantly cast the picture, this time with the irresistible Carroll (Swing Vote) playing the older Juli with grace and spunk"
Pete Hammond - Article ------
- "Carroll, as the single-minded Juli, is an unaffected actress who radiates smarts, and her beamy rapport with Quinn is a touching evocation of fathers and daughters' mutual-appreciation society."
Kimberley Jones - Article ------
- "Juli (Madeline Caroll, excellent) loves Bryce (Callan McAuliffe, also excellent) from the moment his family moves in across the street."
L.A. Weekly Film Critics - Article ------
- "Carroll is such a standout. She's the reason to see this film. She captures the girl's headstrong nature and intelligence without shying away from her sweetness. "
Bob Tremblay - Article ------
- "Carroll and McAuliffe are strikingly competent actors for such a young age. They manage to carry the entire film, and we come to honestly care for both of them --- wanting them to be together and to be happy teenagers in love"
Kaplan & Kaplan - Article ------
- "The two young actors, Carroll and McAuliffe, are so good here that we never think of them as anything but real characters."
Kaplan & Kaplan - Article ------
- "because of Carroll's extraordinary acting skills, we can easily see Juli's feelings mirrored in her reactions to the uninterested neighbor boy Bryce."
Kimberly Gadette - Article ------
- "Madeline Carroll's radiant performance..."
Kimberly Gadette - Article ------
- "Reiner remains an estimable director of actors; the two young leads are perfect."
Lou Lumenick - Article ------
- "the lively lead presence of Madeline Carroll and Callan McAuliffe, two young talents who make the movie better"
Peter Howell - Article ------
- It is a charming, tender film, and both of the young performers do tremendous work. Madeline Carroll was very good in the underseen "Swing Vote" as Kevin Costner's daughter, but this is the film that's going to give her the rest of her career. She demonstrates a strength of character that is uncommon for someone her age, and it's a real performance she gives, with real nuance.
Drew McWeeny - Article ------
- For his part, Chan was particularly impressed by 13-year-old costar Madeline Carroll, with whom he shared some of the film's more dramatic moments. "I think she's a born actress. She doesn't have to pretend. At the end, I'm going away, she comes up to me: 'You have to stay, Bob has to stay,' and the tears just come down immediately. I was shocked. Second take, third take, fourth take, continue. Acting with her, I'm so comfortable because she's helping my English.
Jackie Chan - Article ------
- “There is a lot of humor to be had here as the film is very entertaining, both Costner and Carroll play great roles here. Due to these two performances alone, I definitely recommend this film, as it provides some great family entertainment.”
dbtechno - Article ------
- “The best thing in his life is his pre-teen daughter (the wonderful Madeline Carroll in an award-calibre performance).”
Bruce Kirkland - Article ------
- “Swing Vote has warmth and charm, qualities enhanced by Madeline Carroll, a 12-year-old actress of range and maturity, as Bud's wise daughter Molly. Hers would be the week's best acting performance if not for Kristin Scott Thomas in I've Loved You So Long.”
David Gritten - Article ------
- “... newcomer Madeline Carroll is that rare thing ...”
Tim Evans - Article ------
- “Madeline Carroll, 11, is cute, funny and sympathetic as Molly without being too precocious. Like young actresses Abigail Breslin and Dakota Fanning, she seems like a real kid and does a commendable job in her first major movie role.”
Joe Holleman - Article ------
- “... newcomer Madeline Carroll strikes just the right note as Molly ...”
Matthew Turner - Article ------
- “... a terrific performance from Simi Valley newcomer Madeline Carroll as Molly ...”
Jean Lowerison - Article ------
- “Carroll is a breath of fresh air and pretty much steals the film. ...”
Louise Keller - Article ------
- “While Swing Vote isn’t Oscar-material, Carroll should be considered without question for a Best Supporting Actress nomination. The film keeps you smiling, and she is responsible 90% of the time.”
Aric Mitchell - Article ------
- “Carroll is mesmerizing. Remove her from this film, and there is a large void. With her, you’re pulling for Bud to conquer his demons and make the right decision every step of the way. Every disappointment he brings her breaks off a little piece of your heart. Carroll’s Molly is patient and hopeful with her kind alcoholic father, even though she must constantly prod him to take her to school and be to work on time.”
Aric Mitchell - Article ------
- “The real story, though, is the emergence of Madeline Carroll. The 12-year-old actress orders Costner around like a drill sergeant, verbally bloodies Tucci's nose, and ruthlessly zings Lane. She also serves as both the film's heart and its brains. Among this accomplished cast, Carroll steals the show.”
Jeff Marker - Article ------
- “But Madeline Carroll’s turn in “Swing Vote” is worth the price of admission. With the talented Abigail Breslin getting many of the choice roles and showing that their’s a market for girl driven narratives, Miss Carroll might provide another solid alternative for Hollywood casting directors.”
Jonathan W. Hickman - Article ------
- “Costner really made you believe in that role. His counterpoint though, was his daughter, played brilliantly by Madeline Carroll. This girl is 13 years old and outshines over everyone in the entire film. When she first came on screen, I immediately had that Dakota Fanning/Abigail Breslin vibe, but she really shined on her own. Her character was so down to earth and just worked perfectly with Costner's stupidity. It was the perfect YING/YANG situation.”
Kevin McCarthy - Article ------
- “His most redeeming quality, by far, is his daughter, Molly (dazzling newcomer Madeline Carroll), a precocious, over-achieving 12-year-old with wisdom far beyond her years.”
Brandon Fibbs - Article ------
- “Carroll is a charming screen presence…”
Nell Minow - Article ------
- “Bud (Kevin Costner) and Molly Johnson (gifted newcomer Madeline Carroll) assume Hollywood's textbook father-daughter duo”
Sean O'Connell - Article ------
- “The picture's message is admirable and young Madeline Carroll exhibits real acting chops …”
Laura Clifford - Article ------
- “Kid actors can make or break a movie. Overly precocious, they're annoying and manipulative. Sincere and intelligent, they can charm the socks off an audience. Consider this audience socks-less—Carroll is fantastic as the tic-free and lovable Molly.”
Dezhda Gaubert - Article ------
- “Madeline Carroll (2007's "Resident Evil: Extinction") is nothing if not confident and charismatic as the intelligent, put-upon Molly.”
Dustin Putman - Article ------
- “Madeline Carroll shines as Molly, a responsible little girl who helps her dad grow up.”
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat - Article ------
- “… 12-year-old daughter, played—and very well—by Madeline Carroll …”
Michael Phillips - Article ------
- “Young Madeline Carroll is splendid in the role, which during some stretches of the film, is really the lead. She's clear-eyed and outspoken, has faith in her dad and despite his drinking, loves living with him.”
Roger Ebert - Article ------
- “The 12-year-old actress Madeline Carroll is terrific, easily holding her own among the more experienced cast members, and really selling the emotions in a crucial scene where she expresses her love for her screw-up father to her school class.”
Eric D. Snider - Article ------
- “Madeline Carroll, a pint-size Ellen Page in training …”
Lisa Schwarzbaum - Article ------
- “…Madeline Carroll, appealing and talented…”
Katey Rich - Article ------
- “A father-daughter drama is mixed in, aided considerably by the charms of newcomer Madeline Carroll as Costner's 12-year-old daughter, long-suffering yet wise and intelligent - the obvious grown-up in the family.”
Bill Goodykoontz - Article ------
- "I’ll be shocked if Madeline Carroll [who plays Kevin Costner’s daughter] doesn’t win an Academy Award. She’s the best child actor I’ve ever seen."
Chris Matthews, MSNBC - Article ------
- Standing sturdily at the center of this maelstrom is Molly, and it is an engaging, plucky performance by young Madeline Carroll. "She was our X-factor," Costner told me. "Where was she going to come from? We found this very natural talent, and when you take a natural talent and you put it in a script with an IQ, even though it's a zany little comedy, that's the perfect blend. You have the words written, but you need someone who can inhabit those words, because being cute is not enough. Something else has to happen."
Roger Ebert - Article ------
- The acting was good, too. Costner plays against stereotype and put on a believable, likeable loser. The movie is really held together, though, by the acting of Madeline Carroll, who plays Bud’s precocious daughter, Molly. If she wasn’t such a good actress none of this would’ve been remotely believable. I’m sure we’ll be seeing more of her.
Mark Turner - Article ------
Machine Gun Preacher
