MacArthur Park premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2001, where it was nominated for the Grand Jury Prize.[1] It later screened at the 2001 Taos Talking Pictures Film Festival.[2] The film received positive reviews from critics for subject matter and performances (particularly Byrd, Getty, Deary, Cleghorne and Lori Petty).[3]
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 80% of 5 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.3/10.[4]
Film critic Dennis Harvey from Variety gave it positive review praising Wirth's feature directing debut and acting performances.[3] Film critic Dennis Schwartz also gave it positive review writing: "The film is one-part gritty urban social realism and another part art-house chic, which leaves a limited audience for a film that is dramatically flawed but bursts through at times with raw power."[5]