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Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg

EMAILPRINTInternational Film Circuit

Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg reviews
69
9.4 User Score:

Generally favorable reviews

Based on 20 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?

Based on 5 votes
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Movie Info

Genre(s): Documentary

Written by: Aviva Kempner

Directed by: Aviva Kempner

Release Date:
Theatrical: July 10, 2009

Running Time: minutes, Color

Origin: USA

Summary

RATING: Not Rated

Starring Gertrude Berg

From Aviva Kempner, award-winning maker of The Life and Times of Hank Greenberg, comes this humorous and eye-opening story of television pioneer Gertrude Berg. She was the creator, principal writer, and star of The Goldbergs, a popular radio show about a Jewish family living in New York City which became television’s very first character-driven domestic sitcom in 1949. She combined social commentary, family values and lots of humor to win the hearts of America. (International Film Circuit, Inc.)

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...

100

San Francisco Chronicle Leba Hertz

Kempner once again educates and entertains with unexpected tidbits and just plain good old-fashioned filmmaking.

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88

Chicago Tribune Michael Phillips

Watching Loeb opposite Berg, you're reminded of the miracles of chemistry and the luck of the draw when it comes to casting a show -- any show.

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80

New York Daily News Elizabeth Weitzman

There's far more to this groundbreaker who built an empire in the face of formidable challenges. So why would you miss it? Go already.

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75

Christian Science Monitor Peter Rainer

In Aviva Kempner's affectionate documentary Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, Berg, who once polled second only to Eleanor Roosevelt as one of America's most respected females, is given her due. Or at least her showbiz due.

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75

Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert

Berg was the pioneer for an indie TV entrepreneur like Lucille Ball.

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75

Philadelphia Inquirer Carrie Rickey

In Yoo Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg, Kempner gives us a balance of artist and alter ego, introducing us to a woman we'd like to know even better.

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75

Portland Oregonian Shawn Levy

It’s absolutely charming to be reminded of -- or, in most cases, introduced to -- Berg and her particular genius.

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75

The Globe and Mail (Toronto) Liam Lacey

Well-spoken but humorously self-deprecating, Berg admits that, between the hours spent writing, rehearsing and performing, she spends more of her life as Molly than she does as herself.

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70

The New York Times Stephen Holden

The film could be described as Exhibit A in a study of media celebrity and collective forgetfulness in the age of information overload.

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70

Chicago Reader Andrea Gronvall

It is only in the sequence about Berg's popular costar Philip Loeb that Aviva Kempner's documentary resonates. Loeb, an ardent union activist who was blacklisted during the McCarthy hearings, comes across as more identifiably human than the workaholic Berg, for all her fictional character's warmth and her many admirers' tributes.

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70

Los Angeles Times Gary Goldstein

Entertaining, nostalgic and well-organized documentary.

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70

Washington Post Paul Farhi

As is, this generally excellent portrait does much to fill the void, restoring an unfortunately forgotten figure to her rightful place among broadcasting's trailblazers.

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70

The Hollywood Reporter Doris Toumarkine

Kempner has done everything right by organizing her bountiful material into a fascinating portrait of a worthy personality and her era and touching upon related issues like the impact of the blacklist and the alchemy of celebrity.

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70

Village Voice Ella Taylor

Celebratory but clear-eyed portrait of Gertrude Berg.

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67

Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov

Best of all, though, is the kinescope footage of the televised version's early episodes, which eerily resemble nothing so much as every other TV sitcom to follow, Seinfeld included.

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63

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Joe Williams

We're left with an impression of a vivacious pioneer; but warm shouldn't have to mean fuzzy.

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63

Boston Globe Mark Feeney

The documentary, like the series, is haimish in the extreme - cozy, warm, homey.

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60

Film Threat Phil Hall

For those who never heard of "The Goldbergs" and its amazing star, Yoo-Hoo, Mrs. Goldberg will provide a special introduction to a special person.

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60

Variety Ronnie Scheib

Director-producer Aviva Kempner's well-researched but unchallenging docu, like "The Goldbergs" itself, has cross-cultural appeal for Jews and goyim alike.

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58

The Onion (A.V. Club) Noel Murray

Listening to Berg's characters talk so naturally, honestly, and colorfully about the small, surmountable problems of their daily life is so engaging that whenever Kempner cuts away to another dry historian or fervent fan, it's doubly aggravating.

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What Our Users Said

The average user rating for this movie is 9.4 (out of 10) based on 5 User Votes

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

Mark M. gave it a10:
After watching the film a group of friends and I debated at length why we had never heard of Gertrude Berg. Here is our hypothesis. The reason that Gertrude Berg is not remembered -- besides the inability to make a permanent record of her show except for a few kinescopes, is that the history of the 20th century is by and large written by men. And her show appealed to women in their domestic scope. And judging from some of the ugly comments made on your site about her appearance the judgment by the male run networks and critics was that because she was not beautiful in the anorexic image seen on TV (Donna Reed, Lucy, Alice in The Honeymooners were damn skinny) and therefore she was not worthy of discussion. She made men uncomfortable. So does Oprah. So does Roseanne. Your review is right in that the film doesn't delve in to the reasons she wasn't remembered. The reasons are all about religious and sexual bias of the male controlled media. She was too Jewish, too old and too fat to be worthy of her tremendous accomplishments being recorded and recognized for posterity. She reminded men in power of their immigrant mothers who sacrificed for them. It wasn't cool. Thank goodness Aviva Kempner is finding a way to make sure she is not forgotten for her achievements. The narrow scope of beauty that the media seems to recognize is one reason why Gertrude Berg has been stricken from the record of cultural history. I think C plus is way too low a grade for this doc.

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