X
  • 2016
  • Unrated
  • Music Box Films
  • 1 h 31 m
  • 2016
  • Unrated
  • Music Box Films
  • 1 h 31 m

Summary Arguably the most influential creator, writer, and producer in the history of television, Norman Lear brought primetime into step with the times. Using comedy and indelible characters, his legendary 1970s shows such as All In the Family, Maude, Good Times, and The Jeffersons, boldly cracked open dialogue and shifted the national consciou...

Directed By: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady

  • 2016
  • Unrated
  • Music Box Films
  • 1 h 31 m
  • 2016
  • Unrated
  • Music Box Films
  • 1 h 31 m

Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

Metascore Generally Favorable Based on 11 Critic Reviews
66
User Score Available after 4 ratings
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Summary Arguably the most influential creator, writer, and producer in the history of television, Norman Lear brought primetime into step with the times. Using comedy and indelible characters, his legendary 1970s shows such as All In the Family, Maude, Good Times, and The Jeffersons, boldly cracked open dialogue and shifted the national consciou...

Directed By: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady

Where to Watch

Top Cast

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Critic Reviews

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Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 11 Critic Reviews
66
73% Positive
8 Reviews
27% Mixed
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews

Critic Reviews

 View All
Metascore
Generally Favorable Based on 11 Critic Reviews
66
73% Positive
8 Reviews
27% Mixed
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews

  • All Reviews
  • Positive Reviews
  • Mixed Reviews
  • Negative Reviews
75
Aug 4, 2016
It’s a lot of ground to cover, but if the movie fails to plumb the depth of Lear’s mystery, it succeeds in being an entertaining look at an influential figure.
By Walter Addiego FULL REVIEW
75
Jul 28, 2016
In short, the film inserts us into a solipsistic universe of Norman Lear, one that also overlaps many of the most significant social, political, and show-biz issues of the second half of the 20th century.
By Peter Keough FULL REVIEW
75
Jul 8, 2016
While the film works as a primer for viewers who are curious about Lear but don’t know the details of his life and work, it’s more interesting as a movie about age and memory.
By Matt Zoller Seitz FULL REVIEW
70
Jul 7, 2016
Effective topical entertainment, we are reminded, rarely comes without creative conflict.
By Andy Webster FULL REVIEW
67
Jun 3, 2016
Lear remains a keen observer of his own ability to inject leftist politics into popular culture. The chief stylistic devices used to bring his experiences to life are a different story.
By Eric Kohn FULL REVIEW
60
Jul 14, 2016
For a movie about the creator of some of the most pointed, controversial comedies in television history, Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You has a curious habit of sidestepping some of the thornier and more interesting aspects of its subject’s life.
By Glenn Whipp FULL REVIEW
50
Jul 21, 2016
Ewing and Grady insert vignettes featuring a young actor playing Lear as a 9-year-old, wandering an empty theater and trying on his analog’s signature white hat. The conceit might have sounded artful on paper, but it doesn’t work on film.
By Ann Hornaday FULL REVIEW

User Reviews

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Details

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Production Company Loki Films, Thirteen / WNET
Release Date Jul 8, 2016
Duration 1 h 31 m
Rating Unrated
Genres
Tagline The legendary creator of All in the Family and The Jeffersons
Website http://normanlearfilm.com/
View All Details

Awards

Ashland Independent Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Montclair Film Festival (MFF)
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
Nantucket Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination

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