People who didn't like the characters.

I don't know what it is that puts people off when it comes to movies which are specific to lower/working class people. Aside from the fact that this is based on a true story, and that changes how the movie should be perceived, it seems as though people have a hard time inserting themselves into the lives of the characters and relating to them- so they are resistant to accepting them.

When they talk about how the actors (portraying real people) didn't do a good job, or didn't have "chemistry", how do you know they weren't directed to act that way? Over acting it wouldn't be realistic, because it wouldn't be how people like that really are. I don't know what people don't understand about that. I loved this movie because it reminded me so much of me and my friends, and I can still also be objective about where this movie fails as a piece of art, but these characters are powerful.

Similar to people's critiques of The Town, they have a hard time grasping the characters, and why they are the way they are. I've grown up around people very similar, if not identical, to the people in both this movie and The Town, and I can tell you from experience the actors are spot on. It's almost as if people think there really aren't individuals who's lives end up this way, because they have never seen it for themselves- except in a movie. Movies most of the time over dramatizing things for entertainment sake. I can guarantee that probably any movie they think does a good job at portraying similar character types, I would find completely unrealistic.

Is this movie perfect? Absolutely not, but I find that people would rather characters fit how THEY think they should be, as opposed to how they really are. Which in my opinion is not only dishonest, but doesn't allow the movie to do it's job- allowing you inside the lives of such individuals.