The Real Dirt on Farmer John
Metascore
78 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
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  1. Chicago Sun-Times
    Reviewed by: Roger Ebert
    88
    This is a loving, moving, inspiring, quirky documentary that was made while the lives it records were being lived.
  2. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: Elizabeth Weitzman
    75
    Despite the movie's intimate nature, Siegel deftly broadens his view to observe the culture and conditions of contemporary American farming. Don't be surprised if, by the finish, you wind up fantasizing about your own rural homestead.
  3. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    70
    A beguiling combination of agrarian ode and “The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test,” deepened by Peterson's square sincerity as he struggles to find himself in relation to his family's land.
  4. Portland Oregonian
    Reviewed by: Shawn Levy
    100
    We've seen documentaries with more daring themes, greater drama, sharper craft and timelier subject matter. But few have been as affecting as The Real Dirt on Farmer John.
  5. Chicago Tribune
    Reviewed by: Michael Wilmington
    75
    In many ways, it's a painful story, but it's also full of curious triumphs and outlandish redemptions.
  6. L.A. Weekly
    Reviewed by: Ella Taylor
    80
    It’s fascinating that this portrait of the rise, fall and rise of Midwestern organic farmer John Peterson can be read in so many different ways, only some of which appear intentionally in Taggart Siegel’s sympathetic documentary about his friend and fellow artist.
  7. The New York Times
    Reviewed by: Jeannette Catsoulis
    80
    Offers one man's extraordinary life as a gateway to a larger history of tragedy and transition. It's an unflinching account of what farming takes -- and, more important, what it gives back.
  8. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: Walter Addiego
    75
    A loose, amiable documentary tracking several decades in the life of this most unusual farmer.
  9. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Kevin Crust
    80
    Though its title suggests an exposé on Dodger Dogs, the movie is the moving, inspirational account of John Peterson's discovery of an almost divine calling in the land beneath his feet.
  10. Variety
    Reviewed by: Scott Foundas
    70
    Examines 50-odd years in the life of its eponymous subject -- a most compelling character -- and in doing so literally provides the viewer with food for thought.
  11. Village Voice
    Reviewed by: Julia Wallace
    80
    At times, the film plays like an extended infomercial for John's new company, Angelic Organics, but the agrarian fantasy is so compelling here that the revitalization of the American family farm begins to seem not just possible, but probable.

User Reviews

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User Score
9.0 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 6 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. SteveL.
    10
    The film reflects the struggles of American family farmers over the last fifty years and, more importantly, the universal Hero
  2. Sandy
    8
    An extremely interesting documentary. Well done,well paced And if you enjoy documentaries,see this!!
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