Amazing Grace
Roadside Attractions | Release Date: February 23, 2007 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 29 Critic Reviews
Positive:
20
Mixed:
9
Negative:
0
Watch Now
Buy on
Stream On

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
91
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
An unusually satisfying and inspiring historical epic from one of contemporary cinema's best filmmakers. Read full review
88
Charlotte ObserverLawrence Toppman
The movie is the usual kind of film biography of a respected figure from the distant past - honorable, oversimplified, handsome. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKenneth Turan
Fortunately, director Michael Apted and his team understand the challenges of this kind of story and have met them with intelligence and energy. Read full review
80
SalonStephanie Zacharek
In the first 10 minutes, I feared the picture would be dull and earnest -- until, about a half-hour later, I realized it was lively and earnest, and also refreshingly, unapologetically movielike. Read full review
75
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
Unlike its subject, Amazing Grace won't change the world, but its quasi-religious sense of conviction proves rousing. Apted's unexpected crowd-pleaser is inspirational, but also surprisingly entertaining. Read full review
75
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
A workmanlike piece of storytelling elevated by fine performances. Read full review
75
New York PostKyle Smith
This is the British way to mingle ideas and entertainment. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Anyone who has ever felt morally right and completely in the minority will have a point of entry into this movie. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsJack Mathews
Compelling and highly informative. Read full review
75
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
Apted delivers a fine, righteous climax and packs his film with some of Britain's best character actors. Read full review
75
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
Apted opts not to show the horrendous cruelty inflicted on thousands upon thousands of captive Africans, shackled and chained, making their way to the Americas in ships. Instead, he has Wilberforce and his fellow abolitionists describe the inhumane conditions - in the precise, passionate language of legislators who believe that human decency is more important than money and power. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
Michael Apted's Amazing Grace is a beautifully chiseled blunt instrument. No, it's not subtle, but how subtle was slavery? Read full review
70
VarietyEddie Cockrell
Picture reflects the no-nonsense storytelling skills of prolific helmer Michael Apted, whose career-long mix of feature and documentary work holds him in good stead once more. Read full review
70
The New York TimesManohla Dargis
The overall effect is part BBC-style biography, part Hollywood-like hagiography, and generally pleasing and often moving, even when the story wobbles off the historical rails or becomes bogged down in dopey romance. Read full review
70
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
A case of good works done well.
70
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Flawed but ambitious, this biopic of British parliamentarian William Wilberforce closely tracks the political maneuvering of the late 18th and early 19th century as reformers campaign to end Britain's participation in the slave trade. Read full review
70
The New RepublicStanley Kauffmann
The dialogue is bright, historically styled yet lithe; the characterizations are graphic even with minor people. Read full review
67
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Although the structure is clunky, the ensuing parliamentary machinations prove witty and fascinating. Read full review
63
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
It's disappointing that so much talent has been assembled with so little to do. Read full review
63
The Globe and Mail (Toronto)Rick Groen
What's missing, in the direction no less than the script, is any real sense of dramatic urgency. Read full review
60
EmpireHelen O'Hara
There's so much story here that the characters don't have quite enough room to breathe, but it's still a fascinating look at a time, and a man, worth remembering. Read full review
58
Entertainment WeeklyGregory Kirschling
It's earnest, solemn stuff. The movie sings an old tune -- Albert Finney is the blind minister who wrote the title ditty -- and it leaves the blood unstirred. Read full review
50
Village VoiceElla Taylor
Morally irreproachable and flat as a pancake. Read full review
50
Austin ChronicleJosh Rosenblatt
Unfortunately for Barbara and for us, what makes William Wilberforce a great man is also what makes him a bore. Read full review
50
Chicago TribuneMichael Phillips
Apted and his collaborators are so in awe of their subject they neglect to bring him to full human life. Read full review
50
PremiereEthan Alter
Earnest, respectful and thoroughly dull. Read full review
50
Washington PostDesson Thomson
If Amazing Grace serves its most superficial purpose -- to educate the viewer -- it's hardly compelling viewing. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeTy Burr
It's a doughty movie, stuck halfway between Masterpiece Theatre and Classics Illustrated, but, to his credit, gifted journeyman director Michael Apted understands he's playing the long game. Read full review
42
Christian Science MonitorPeter Rainer
[Apted] also has an unfortunate penchant for bland stateliness, and never more so than in Amazing Grace, a well-intentioned piece of historical waxworks. Read full review
More From This Movie

65 Critic Reviews

8.1 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 81 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple
2 77 Project Hail Mary
3 75 Send Help
4 73 Hoppers
5 72 The Sheep Detectives
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL