20 Feet from Stardom
RADiUS-TWC | Release Date: June 14, 2013 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
83
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 25 Critic Reviews
Positive:
25
Mixed:
0
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Chicago TribuneMichael PhillipsJul 11, 2013
Yes, for every star there are five more also-rans and maybe-next-times. But there is honor and glory in being part of the blend. And, at the film's midpoint, when Clayton talks about the late-night recording session in 1969 of "Gimme Shelter," the memory takes on the glow of myth. Read full review
100
Boston GlobeTy BurrJun 27, 2013
20 Feet From Stardom may possibly be the happiest time you’ll have at the movies all summer, but it comes with a heavy load of frustration. The joy...is in the sound of women singing their big, beautiful hearts out. The pain comes from the anonymity they’ve spent their lives working under and fighting against. Read full review
100
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerJun 14, 2013
I have rarely seen a movie that better expressed the revivifying nature of music. (Many of the women, not surprisingly, grew up singing gospel in church choirs and had preachers for parents.) Read full review
91
Portland OregonianMarc MohanJul 4, 2013
20 Feet From Stardom spends time as well with Claudia Lennear, Táta Vega and Lisa Fischer. None of the three ever found much success as a solo artist, but you probably can't listen to a classic-rock radio station for a half-hour without hearing one of them backing up Joe Cocker, David Bowie, Tina Turner or the Rolling Stones. Read full review
90
Los Angeles TimesKenneth TuranJun 13, 2013
A moving and joyous behind-the-scenes documentary about a world filled with big, bold personalities and the music they make. Read full review
90
The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweMar 22, 2013
Neville unearths a treasure trove of archival TV, concert and film footage featuring many of these vocalists in their heyday, balancing the material with perfectly-lit contemporary studio interviews and performances shot in pristine digital cinematography, supplemented by more informal scenes depicting the frequent challenges of these musicians' careers. Read full review
88
Chicago Sun-TimesDave HoekstraJul 16, 2013
From front to back stage, 20 Feet From Stardom is a compelling look at the spirit of these giving artists as they navigated the rapid musical and social change of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. Read full review
88
USA TodayClaudia PuigJun 13, 2013
Audiences meet the most memorable voices in the world of backup singers. They perform with world-famous musical acts, but theirs are not household names. Their stories, however, are inspiring, heartbreaking and enthralling. Read full review
88
Rolling StonePeter TraversJun 13, 2013
Sometimes it's racism; sometimes bum luck; sometimes it's producer Phil Spector putting Love's voice in another singer's mouth. You watch. You hear the gospel spoken in the voices of these women. And you marvel. Read full review
85
Film.comWilliam GossJun 10, 2013
A well-polished production with a remarkable soundtrack. Read full review
83
The A.V. ClubSam AdamsJun 12, 2013
Twenty Feet From Stardom touches on fascinating issues, but too often it does no more than that. Read full review
80
EmpireAngie ErrigoMar 24, 2014
A crowdpleaser that also tells an important story about showbiz, it’s fab. You’ll come out singing. Read full review
80
New Orleans Times-PicayuneMike ScottAug 30, 2013
A crowd-pleaser, through and through. Read full review
80
SalonAndrew O'HehirJul 5, 2013
This is one of those moving, tragic and triumphant secret histories of American culture where the biggest surprise is that no one’s told it before. Read full review
80
Arizona RepublicBarbara VanDenburghJul 4, 2013
20 Feet From Stardom is frequently sad and frustrating. But while there’s heartbreak aplenty, the film doesn’t function as a pitying paean to unmined talent — it’s ultimately a celebration of the unsung. Read full review
80
The New York TimesJun 13, 2013
This generous, fascinating documentary about the careers of backup singers, most of them African-American women, seeks to rewrite the history of pop music by focusing attention on voices at once marginal and vital. Read full review
80
Village VoiceErnest HardyJun 11, 2013
It does what the most powerful films and music have always done, which is to spark contemplation of our own lives and choices, and our place in the world, while also stoking compassion and empathy for lives far removed from our own. Read full review
80
Time OutDavid FearJun 11, 2013
The sisterhood who have made this an art form mostly remain unsung heroes, as it were, of the hit parade. Their collective bow is long overdue. Read full review
80
VarietyPeter DebrugeMar 22, 2013
For most of its running time, this personality-packed docu is nothing short of absorbing as it recaps the essential role African-American background singers played in shaping the sound of 20th-century pop music. Read full review
75
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Liam LaceyJul 5, 2013
At times, these singers’ versatility has kept them both regularly employed and deliberately anonymous. Read full review
75
Washington PostMichael O'SullivanJun 27, 2013
It’s a story of standing out and blending in, sometimes at the same time. Read full review
75
New York PostSara StewartJun 13, 2013
In a film that’s often sad but not without its triumphs, director Morgan Neville smartly explores the complex role that ego and self-promotion play in this profession. Read full review
75
McClatchy-Tribune News ServiceRoger MooreJun 10, 2013
It’s still a welcome, entertaining and overdue delivery of credit where credit was and is due. Read full review
75
Slant MagazineTomas HachardJun 10, 2013
This joyous documentary leaves us wanting to immediately seek out the incredible, sometimes unfamiliar music we've just heard. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinJun 10, 2013
You gasp at the ecstatic convergence of lung power and spirit. Read full review
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