[1][2] Evan is a young man with Down syndrome who lives with his mother, Celeste, in a working class, small town.

When he unexpectedly comes into a large amount of money, he uses it to romantically pursue a young mother, Candy, who is still entangled in her previous relationship with her abusive ex-boyfriend.

[11] Ray Bennett from The Hollywood Reporter praised the film as "accomplished and tense" and wrote that first time actor Evan Sneider "handles scenes of tenderness, mystery, and anger with much skill.

"[13] Andrew O'Hehir wrote in Salon.com that the film "has tremendous heart and integrity" with an ending that is "gentle, optimistic, and just about right.

[15] Slant Magazine gave the film a negative review with 1.5 stars out of a possible four and stated that "Girlfriend doesn't present us with anything life-affirming, challenging, or expectation-beating about a lead character with Down's.