America's Heart and Soul
Buena Vista Pictures | Release Date: July 2, 2004 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
55
METASCORE
Mixed or average reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
12
Mixed:
10
Negative:
2
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
90
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Harbors some indelibly arresting images and characters whose stories, even at their most superficial, manage to be authentically inspiring. Read full review
80
Washington PostDesson Thomson
This is Disney at its live-action best and brightest. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
This is an undeniably gorgeous film, with tremendous sweep and a great feel for vast landscapes and glittering cityscapes. Schwartzberg has captured a sense of the country's grandeur. Read full review
75
USA TodayClaudia Puig
An old-school documentary that is both non-controversial and uplifting, America's Heart & Soul could be subtitled the Anti-Fahrenheit 9/11. Read full review
75
Baltimore SunMichael Sragow
Schwartzberg sees the homegrown innovativeness and grit still standing beneath the glossy media version of the American personality. Read full review
70
VarietyRonnie Scheib
Features 20-odd valiant souls treasuring their freedom and overcoming obstacles while skycams soar over purple mountains' majesty and an acrobatic pilot does loop-de-loops over fruited plains. Read full review
70
The New York TimesDave Kehr
A feel-good documentary. Read full review
67
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
Its overall impact is soothing and reassuring without being overtly manipulative, propagandistic or flag-waving. Read full review
67
Entertainment WeeklyGregory Kirschling
The travelogue cinematography is often gorgeous, and the movie's folks, however hastily presented, are winning. Read full review
63
Boston GlobeWesley Morris
Schwartzberg does stumble upon some pretty fascinating people. Read full review
63
Philadelphia InquirerSteven Rea
A pumped-up, plotless montage of extraordinary landscapes, colorful wildlife, and interesting people performing feats of derring-do. Read full review
63
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
There's no denying the beauty of Schwartzberg's landscapes, or the power in many of his chosen stories - from the Texas oil well fighters to the Boston father who helps his handicapped son win marathons. Read full review
60
Village VoiceLaura Sinagra
When ditching the mawk to follow his daredevil muse, the director delivers stunning shots of cliff dancing and stunt pilotry. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterKirk Honeycutt
The film would make a better fit on television or at one of Disney's theme parks. In cinemas, Heart & Soul is an odd duck, out of sync with the current generation of documentarians whose films dig deep into stories and issues the media generally overlooks. Read full review
60
Dallas ObserverLuke Y. Thompson
To call it a conservative or Republican film would be inaccurate: For one thing, it celebrates (gasp!) multiculturalism and diversity. For another, the closest it ever comes to expressing a political viewpoint is when a metal sculptor advocates more art education in schools. Read full review
60
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
This is supposed to be a testament to the nation's diversity, but it's so complacent that you'd never imagine said diversity is one of the greatest social challenges of the new century. Read full review
50
L.A. WeeklyJon Strickland
Despite some exciting visuals...Schwartzberg intercuts his segments with clichéd swooping helicopter shots of city skylines and desert mesas...undermining the quirky individuality he seeks to celebrate. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChronicleCarla Meyer
Pretty and vague, the kind of film that might play on a loop at a county fair's Americana exhibit. Read full review
50
New York PostJonathan Foreman
If Schwarzberg had chosen to concentrate on eccentrics, rural artists or people like his New York bike messenger, female aerobatic champion and California cliff dancer, "Heart and Soul" would have been a much more interesting film. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineEthan Alter
It's all beautifully photographed and Schwartzberg tries to capture the country's diversity despite notable omissions, as there always will be in any movie that attempts to "define" America. Read full review
50
Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert
Working within the limitations of the star rating system, I give four stars to the subjects of this movie, and two stars to the way they have been boiled down into cute pictures and sound bites. Read full review
40
Austin ChronicleMarrit Ingman
The real shame in the storytelling is that the people in this film are interesting and inspiring enough to warrant a real film about them. Read full review
38
Miami HeraldConnie Ogle
This shameless cheerleader of a documentary is the sort of propaganda you might expect in a Republican campaign ad or perhaps featured at a small theater located somewhere in Fantasyland. Read full review
10
The A.V. ClubScott Tobias
Represents apple-pie mythmaking at its most insidiously thoughtless. Read full review
More From This Movie

55 Critic Reviews

6.3 User Reviews

Details & Credits|Trailers

Current Movie Releases
By MetascoreBy User Score
1 77 Project Hail Mary
2 75 Send Help
3 73 Hoppers
4 72 The Sheep Detectives
5 68 Crime 101
SEE ALL
Essential Links
New on Amazon Prime Video
New on Netflix
Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
SEE ALL