el ot ." ▁Other ▁reviews ▁were ▁more ▁mixed : ▁Gene ▁S isk el ▁gave ▁the ▁film ▁a ▁" m arg inal ▁Th umb s ▁Up " ▁as ▁he ▁liked ▁Jenn ifer ▁Grey ' s ▁acting ▁and ▁development ▁of ▁her ▁character , ▁while ▁Roger ▁E bert ▁gave ▁it ▁" Th umb s ▁Down " ▁due ▁to ▁its ▁" idi ot ▁plot ", ▁calling ▁it ▁a ▁" t ired ▁and ▁rel ent lessly ▁predict able ▁story ▁of ▁love ▁between ▁k ids ▁from ▁different ▁background s ." ▁T IME ▁magazine ▁was ▁lu ke w arm , ▁saying , ▁" If ▁the ▁ending ▁of ▁Ele an or ▁Berg stein ' s ▁script ▁is ▁too ▁neat ▁and ▁inspir ational , ▁the ▁rough ▁energy ▁of ▁the ▁film ' s ▁song ▁and ▁dance ▁does ▁carry ▁one ▁along , ▁past ▁the ▁whisper ed ▁doub ts ▁of ▁better ▁judgment ." ▁In ▁a ▁ret ros pective ▁review , ▁Je z eb els ▁Ir in ▁Car mon ▁called ▁the ▁film ▁" the ▁greatest ▁movie ▁of ▁all ▁time " ▁as ▁" a ▁great , ▁brave ▁movie ▁for ▁women " ▁with ▁" some ▁subt le , ▁ret ros pect ively ▁sharp - ey ed ▁crit iques ▁of ▁class ▁and ▁gender ." ▁ ▁Ab ort ion ▁rights ▁advoc ates ▁have ▁called ▁the ▁film ▁the ▁" g old ▁standard " ▁for ▁cin ematic ▁port ray als ▁of ▁abort ion , ▁which ▁author ▁Y ann is ▁T zi ou m ak is ▁described ▁as ▁offering ▁a ▁" comp ass ion ate ▁dep iction ▁of ▁abort ion ▁in ▁which ▁the