Framing John DeLorean

Name: Framing John DeLorean
Genre: Biography, Drama, Documentary
Released: June 7, 2019
Duration: 109 min
Rating: 67
Cast: Alec Baldwin, Dana Ashbrook, Dean Winters, Jason Jones, Josh Charles

2019

METASCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Critic Reviews

See All

USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Ratings

See All

7.9

VOTE NOW

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

7.9	Your Score
7.9	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 7 Ratings

Would you like to write a review?

There is a 75 character minimum for reviews. If your review contains spoilers, please check the Spoiler box. Please do not use ALL CAPS. There is no linking or other HTML allowed. Your review may be edited for content. 0/5000

Check box if your review contains spoilers

Play Sound

Please enter your birth date to watch this video:

You are not allowed to view this material at this time.

Framing John Delorean

Now Playing: Framing John Delorean

Movie Details & Credits

Sundance Selects | Release Date: June 7, 2019 | NR

Starring: Alec Baldwin, Dana Ashbrook, Dean Winters, Jason Jones, Josh Charles, Josh Cooke, Michael Rispoli, Morena Baccarin, Seán Cullen, William Hill

Summary: Money, power, politics, drugs, scandal, and fast cars. The incredible story of John DeLorean is the stuff of a Hollywood screenwriter’s dreams. But who was the real John DeLorean? To some, he was a renegade visionary who revolutionized the automobile industry. To others, he was the ultimate con man. For the first time, Framing John DeLoreanMoney, power, politics, drugs, scandal, and fast cars. The incredible story of John DeLorean is the stuff of a Hollywood screenwriter’s dreams. But who was the real John DeLorean? To some, he was a renegade visionary who revolutionized the automobile industry. To others, he was the ultimate con man. For the first time, Framing John DeLorean recounts the extraordinary life and legend of the controversial automaker, tracing his meteoric rise through the ranks of General Motors, his obsessive quest to build a sports car that would conquer the world, and his shocking fall from grace on charges of cocaine trafficking. Interweaving a treasure trove of archival footage with dramatic vignettes starring Alec Baldwin, Framing John DeLorean is a gripping look at a man who gambled everything in his pursuit of the American Dream. [Sundance Selects]… Expand

Director: Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Documentary

Rating: NR

Runtime: 109 min

See All Details and Credits

Watch Now

Stream On

Buy on

Stream On

Expand

Metascore

Positive:

Mixed:

Negative:

Critic Reviews

Oleg Ivanov

Jun 1, 2019

John DeLorean has a biography that could have been reverse engineered from a Hollywood epic about the rise and fall of an auto-industry mogul. Read full review

Glenn Kenny

Jun 6, 2019

Framing John DeLorean doesn’t fully answer its own central question, and leaves several others hanging as well. As frustrating as this can be in hindsight, the movie, while it’s playing, is unfailingly engrossing. Read full review

Peter Keough

Jun 20, 2019

Argott and Joyce subordinate these more pressing political questions to a mirror-box exploration of the nature of truth and the unfathomable secrets of the soul. As such it is thoughtful, sometimes ingenious, but you can’t help thinking that they missed the real story. Read full review

Gary Goldstein

Jun 14, 2019

Directors Sheena M. Joyce and Don Argott could have easily ditched the stagy narrative bits (and behind-the scenes chats with the actors) and relied entirely on the vast amount of fascinating, well-assembled archival footage that, along with recent interviews with the late DeLorean’s children, co-workers, lawyer and other observers, nimbly recount the renegade’s complex, tabloid-ready adult life. Read full review

Hunter Lanier

Jun 7, 2019

Aside from the poorly considered inclusion of staged drama, Framing John DeLorean competently breezes through the rise and fall of the legendary car mogul. Read full review

David Fear

Jun 5, 2019

And while the arrest and trial take up the bulk of the film’s focus, no amount of famous folks mouthing lines can compare to the compelling, grainy black-and-white clips of the real-deal DeLorean getting busted by the feds. Read full review

Elizabeth Weitzman

May 4, 2019

This ambitious approach is, unfortunately, more intriguing than effective. Read full review

SEE ALL 17 REVIEWS

Write a Review

Negative:

User Reviews

Existentialman

Jun 15, 2019

Great movie that works on many levels simultaneously. There's the history of John DeLorean told through archival footage, the narrative portions of the film and some behind the scenes footage showing how the filmmakers and Alec Baldwin decided to present the information the way they did. IGreat movie that works on many levels simultaneously. There's the history of John DeLorean told through archival footage, the narrative portions of the film and some behind the scenes footage showing how the filmmakers and Alec Baldwin decided to present the information the way they did. I love films when they break the fourth wall and make you think about what you're watching and how the information is being presented. This film succeeds at doing that which is a credit to the filmmakers. They clearly want you to decide for yourself how to feel about John DeLorean and not just take their word for it. Bravo!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

MattD74

Jun 15, 2019

I’m proud to be the owner of DeLorean VIN 5144, one of less than 6,000 surviving DMC-12’s left in the world and after viewing this film this evening all I can say is, ‘Excellent Work!’ Producer and DeLorean Historian Tamir Ardon is what made this film ultimately happen. Tamir cataloguedI’m proud to be the owner of DeLorean VIN 5144, one of less than 6,000 surviving DMC-12’s left in the world and after viewing this film this evening all I can say is, ‘Excellent Work!’ Producer and DeLorean Historian Tamir Ardon is what made this film ultimately happen. Tamir catalogued countless documents, photos, videos and interviews to bring the viewer up to speed on the subject. He included information most documentaries leave out, truly focusing on who John Zachary DeLorean was. I highly recommend this film to those interested in an overview of the DMC-12, but mostly DeLorean, the man. He was a brilliant engineer and visionary, but also made serious errors in judgement resulting in the demise of the car company. I can’t thank Tamir enough for pursuing his goal to make this film relentlessly and making it to the finish line. And many thanks to Barry Wills, DeLorean Director of Purchasing and the last CEO of DMC for participating in the film as well!… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

geewah

Aug 7, 2021

Could of done without the behind the scenes chat with the actors, but a solid doco that tries to convey what drove this man to do what he did.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

DawdlingPoet

Nov 28, 2021

I found this interesting in terms of the story, what happened to the company and the legal case etc. that followed, which I hadn't previously been aware of. However, I found the acted parts with Alec Baldwin portraying John DeLorean rather distracting and I didn't think it fully worked. I'dI found this interesting in terms of the story, what happened to the company and the legal case etc. that followed, which I hadn't previously been aware of. However, I found the acted parts with Alec Baldwin portraying John DeLorean rather distracting and I didn't think it fully worked. I'd rather they use genuine library/archive footage and talking heads to discuss what happened - which, by the way, they do but the mix of that and acted scenes, reconstructions, jarred with me. I found it a bit hard to follow some of the aspects, the finer details of what happened and I wouldn't say its an especially engrossing or gripping watch but if your interested in the story, you do learn some things and also I did enjoy hearing from John's children. That aspect was insightful, how his kids reacted to what happened and their memories of things.

This is a somewhat interesting documentary, which seems to be not 100% sure if it wants to be the TV documentary show it mainly is, or if it wants to somehow also be a more glitzy Hollwood drama film, which it isn't really. It doesn't really work entirely but its still ok, hence my rating. I wouldn't go out of your way to watch it though, unless your particularly keen on the subject as such. I'm still a bit unclear about quite how he was framed, frankly.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

SEE ALL 4 REVIEWS