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Danielson: A Family Movie
Creative Arson Productions

Danielson: A Family Movie reviews
Critic Score
Metascore: 59 Metascore out of 100
User Score  
9.0 out of 10
based on 6 reviews
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How did we calculate this?
based on 1 votes
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MPAA RATING: Not Rated

Starring Steve Albini, David Garland, Daniel Johnston, Kramer, Rick Moody, Daniel Smith, Alan Sparhawk, and Sufjan Stevens

Danielson: a Family Movie is a documentary about unbridled creativity vs. accessibility, Christian faith vs. popular culture, underground music vs. survival, and family vs. individuality. The film follows Daniel Smith, an eccentric musician and visual artist, as he leads his four siblings and best friend Chris to indie-rock stardom. (Creative Arson Productions)


GENRE(S): Documentary  |  Musical  
DIRECTED BY: J.L. Aronson  
RELEASE DATE: DVD: April 10, 2007 
Theatrical: December 15, 2006 
RUNNING TIME: 96 minutes, Color 
ORIGIN: USA 

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...

70
LA Weekly Ernest Hardy
Shot on digital and layered with animated segments, performance footage and clips from Smith family home movies, Family Movie unfolds with a gentle, justified confidence in the power of its subject.
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70
Los Angeles Times Michael Ordona
Aronson's film is a fond portrait, loaded with bizarre, haunting music and Smith's off-kilter inspirations.
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60
Chicago Reader Monica Kendrick
Nonfans may be put off by its relative lack of dramatic tension and soft-focus analog video.
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60
Variety Dennis Harvey
There is an undeniable quirky appeal to the creative world of Daniel Smith, though those who hope a behind-the-scenes look will explain his motivation or personality won't find the enigma resolved here.
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58
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Bill White
One of the strangest things about J.L. Aronson's often fascinating film is the presence of Sufjan Stevens, who recently has become a star in his own right, as Smith's bandmate and protégé. One can only wonder what Stevens, who possesses a pleasant voice and a solid grasp of song craft, found in such a mentor.
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50
The New York Times Neil Genzlinger
This being a film review, the relevant question is whether J L Aronson's documentary about Danielson is worth watching. The answer, for about two-thirds of it, is yes. Though ultimately, alas, the movie has a little too much Danielson in it.
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What Our Users Said

Vote Now!The average user rating for this movie is 9.0 (out of 10) based on 1 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.

[Anonymous] gave it a9:
Its not a perfect film, but it is a lovely portrait of a truly singular artist whose music comes from the heart, and could only be made by him. It is also interesting comparing Danielson's trajectory with that of Sufjan Stevens, who at one point toured with Danielson Famile.

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