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Life of Reilly, The

EMAILPRINTCivilian Pictures

Life of Reilly, The reviews
72
7.2 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 19 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 4 votes
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Documentary

Written by: Charels Nelson Reilly
Paul Linke

Directed by: Frank L. Anderson
Barry Poltermann

Release Date:
Theatrical: November 9, 2007

Running Time: 87 minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING:

Starring Charels Nelson Reilly

If, in 1940, you had a lobotomized aunt, an institutionalized father, and a racist mother, and were the only gay kid on the block, what do you think the odds would be that you'd end up a Tony winner, a staple of television, and a generational icon? Enter The Life of Reilly. The cliché goes that truth is stranger than fiction. In this case, it is also funnier and more heartbreaking. Charles Nelson Reilly, famous for his game show innuendos and X-Files guest appearances, takes us through his bizarre, star-studded, tragic, hilarious, and ultimately amazing life with a potent blend of tenderness and quick one-liners. The Life of Reilly is an adaptation of Mr. Reilly's acclaimed one-man show and was photographed for the screen during Mr. Reilly's final two performances of his play in North Hollywood, California. (Vagrant Films)

What The Critics Said

All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...

80

Film Threat K.J. Doughton

Check out The Life of Reilly, for a real-life example of carpe diem energy too pure and unrefined to be silenced by discrimination or negative family vibes.

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80

Variety Joe Leydon

With equal measures of prickly wit, gleeful pride and bemused gratitude, Charles Nelson Reilly looks back at his life, and invites his audience to share the view, in this thoroughly engaging filmization of his one-man stage show.

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80

The Hollywood Reporter Frank Scheck

Despite his obvious infirmities, Reilly infuses his performance with a great deal of energy -- frequently shouting his lines for emphasis -- and, of course, perfect comic timing. It's fortunate that we have this filmed record -- directed by Barry Poltermann and Frank Anderson -- of a memorable solo performance by a true show business original.

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75

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

Director Barry Poltermann’s sweet little evocation of a show business career captures Reilly at “the twilight of an extraordinary life,” in Reilly’s words.

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75

The Onion (A.V. Club) Noel Murray

Spellbinding.

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75

New York Post Lou Lumenick

Best remembered as the most flamboyant of TV's original "Hollywood Squares" - which is really saying something on a panel that included Paul Lynde.

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75

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Rick Groen

A tender tale of semi-triumph.

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75

Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker

The actor holds the stage with his warm humor and emotionally charged anecdotes.

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75

TV Guide Maitland McDonagh

By the time Reilly's shaggy life story winds down, it's hard not to wish he'd been your friend, too.

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75

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

If you think of Reilly as little more than a camp icon, you've got a lot to learn.

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75

San Francisco Chronicle David Wiegand

Both revealing and evasive.

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75

Boston Globe Ty Burr

This charming, bittersweet 90-minute monologue consists of the actor telling tales of his childhood and early years, when he was an ugly duckling from an uglier family. The anecdotes are bruisingly funny and delivered with clarity and light mockery.

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70

Washington Post Ann Hornaday

The Life of Reilly pays fitting homage to a man who deserves to be remembered for much more than just trading double-entendres with Brett Somers on "The Match Game."

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70

New York Magazine David Edelstein

Occasionally you see a documentary and it hits you how much you don’t know about someone who was part of your mental landscape.

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70

LA Weekly Aaron Hillis

There are the stories of his racist mom, lobotomized aunt, and a TV exec who told him he’d never find work as a homosexual -- and the more charming tale of his Uta Hagen acting class, which yielded nothing but future A-listers (Steve McQueen, Jason Robards, Jack Lemmon and Anne Meara, to name a few).

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70

Salon.com Andrew O'Hehir

Charles Nelson Reilly is still alive, dammit, and boy does he have a story to tell.

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70

The New York Times Matt Zoller Seitz

Built around “Save It for the Stage,” a one-man stage show by Charles Nelson Reilly, a showbiz gadfly and Tony Award-winning theater director.

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70

Chicago Reader J.R. Jones

It's a funny and frequently affecting reminiscence from a man whose TV antics obscured a long, respectable career as a stage actor and director.

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67

Entertainment Weekly Owen Gleiberman

Reilly, in his 70s, takes us through his hilariously awful childhood: Eugene O'Neill as toxic high camp.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 7.2 (out of 10) based on 4 User Votes

Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

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