 Hal Hinson of "The Washington Post" said that the film was "hard to classify; at times you laugh raucously at what's up on the screen; at others you stare dumbly, in stunned amazement".Roger Ebert, in a star review in the "Chicago Sun-Times" praised the cinematography, the Provincetown setting, and said that the relationship between Tim and Dougy was the best aspect of the film, but also had to say that "what is strange is that "Tough Guys Don't Dance" leaves me with such vivid memories of its times and places, its feelings and weathers, and yet leaves me so completely indifferent to its plot.Watching the film, I laughed a good deal."