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The U.S. vs. John Lennon
The U.S. vs. John Lennon Image
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Metascore
64 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 26 Critics What's this?

User Score
8.7 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 30 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: John Lennon
  • Summary: Exploring Vietnam-era struggles that remain relevant today, The U.S. vs. John Lennon tells the true story of the U.S. Government's attempts to silence John Lennon, the beloved musician and iconic advocate for peace. (Lions Gate)

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 26
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 26
  3. Negative: 2 out of 26
  1. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: Michael Sragow
    100
    This movie is both sad and inspiring. It offers proof that Lennon's wit and art are everlasting.
  2. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Sam Adams
    60
    There may not be a moral, but it's a fascinating human story, one that The U.S. vs. John Lennon only begins to tell.
  3. Chicago Reader
    Reviewed by: J.R. Jones
    30
    The U.S. vs. John Lennon isn't so much a history of Lennon's pacifism as a continuation of it, the last bed-in, so to speak, with contemporary figures like Gore Vidal and Noam Chomsky on hand to connect Vietnam with Iraq, President Nixon with President Bush, and the FBI's spying on Lennon with the current administration's domestic surveillance.

See all 26 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 1 out of 6
  1. MandyH.
    10
    Brilliant, like the man himself.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. TheresaS.
    10
    Fascinating & inspirational with the best soundtrack of the year! I loved it!
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  3. horrorgrrrl
    3
    I like John Lennon more than I dislike him... but the high ratings this movie has received are proof that people too often base their opinions of such material on simplistic political sympathies rather than objective assessment of filmmaking prowess. This is a very poorly put together documentary. For all its talk of the Vietnam war, it doesn't even acknowledge its end... or the reason it was fought in the first place. As for John Lennon's answer? Peace. Well, peace is an objective not a solution... it's not a plan. And never does Lennon address the intricacies of the war, he just grows his hair and stays in his bed... and eventually shares that bed, figuratively speaking, with the same radical figures who comprise 80% of the interviews. Peace is an objective few would disagree with. It's like saying you're in favor of beautiful scenery and clear skies. What peace is not is a sophisticated answer to sometimes complicated problems. This film entirely avoids discussing actual issues in any kind of substantive manner. Is peace the answer to the rise of the Nazis? John Lennon's rise from humble beginnings would have been far more fascinating than this documentary - it is a 5-minute segment that has been stretched to almost two hours. I was moved by the ending, when I got to see him with his son... got to see the joyful life he was living with wife and child, a life taken far too soon. John's love story was far more powerful than his over-hyped battle with the American government. This is an example of how NOT to make a documentary.… Expand
    • 0 of 0 users said yes

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