Editing Affliction (1997 film) (section)

==Reception==
On [[Rotten Tomatoes]], ''Affliction'' has an approval rating of 88% based on 50 reviews from critics, with an average rating of 7.60/10. The consensus reads, "Dark and bleak, the 'kick-ass' performances, especially Nolte's 'effective' portrayal of an abused soul, is the reason to see this film."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/affliction|title=Affliction (1997)|website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|date=January 15, 1999 |publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]|access-date=January 29, 2021}}</ref> On [[Metacritic]], the film has a score of 79 out of 100 based on 39 reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/affliction|title=Affliction Reviews|website=[[Metacritic]]|publisher=[[CBS Interactive]]|access-date=January 29, 2021}}</ref>

Critic [[Roger Ebert]] of the ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'' gave the film 4 stars.<ref name=ebert>{{cite web | first=Roger|last=Ebert | author-link=Roger Ebert|title=Affliction | url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/affliction-1999 | work=[[Chicago Sun-Times]] | date=February 8, 1999 | access-date=December 6, 2020}}</ref> [[Janet Maslin]] in ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote "[Nick Nolte] gives the performance of his career in Paul Schrader's quietly stunning new film [...] Like ''[[The Sweet Hereafter (film)|The Sweet Hereafter]]'', a more meditative and elegant but less immediate, volcanic film, ''Affliction'' finds the deeper meaning in an all too believable tragedy."<ref>{{cite web | first=Janet|last=Maslin | author-link=Janet Maslin|title=Affliction (1997) FILM REVIEW; A Suppressed Son Erupts With Molten Emotions | url=https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9800E0D9153FF933A05751C1A96E958260 | work=[[The New York Times]] | date=December 30, 1998 | access-date=October 29, 2011}}</ref>

In a negative review in the ''[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out]] Film Guide'', Geoff Andrew called the film a "sensitive but rather dull adaption of Russell Banks' novel [...] the narrative's too unfocused and low-key really to engage the heart or mind."<ref>{{cite book|last=Andrew|first=Geoff|editor-first=John|editor-last=Pym|title=[[Time Out Film Guide]]|edition=11th|year=2002|publisher=[[Penguin Books]]|location=New York City|isbn=978-0140294149}}</ref>