An Unreasonable Man
IFC First Take | Release Date: January 31, 2007 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
75
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 24 Critic Reviews
Positive:
22
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Entertainment WeeklyOwen Gleiberman
Nader became famous as a "consumer advocate," but as the thrilling first hour of An Unreasonable Man makes clear, that humdrum bureaucratic term didn't do justice to his courage, his vision. Read full review
100
Chicago ReaderJ.R. Jones
Through it all Nader, as ruefully funny as ever, comments on his adventures. Read full review
91
The A.V. ClubNathan Rabin
The film begins like a Frank Capra movie--pure-hearted idealist takes on corporate fat cats against impossible odds and triumphs--but ends like a Shakespearean tragedy. Read full review
88
TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonagh
Skrovan swears that during two years of filming, Nader's only demand was, "Make sure you talk to people who oppose me." Read full review
80
Film ThreatMichael Ferraro
It's a nice refresher course to remind us how hard Nader has fought for everyday citizens, ultimately saving hundreds of lives in the long run. Read full review
80
Village VoiceJim Ridley
If the film shows that few men are as unreasonable as Ralph Nader, it also shows that few have so succeeded in shaping their world: His legacy of progressive legislation will affect generations to come. Read full review
80
L.A. WeeklyElla Taylor
An entertaining tour of this endearing, infuriating absolutist's life and legacy, guided by talking heads more pro than con, prominent among them the former Nader's Raiders who split over their leader's disastrous insistence that there was no difference worth talking about between Democrats and Republicans, yet retain enormous affection for his wit, integrity and incorruptible sense of mission. Read full review
80
Washington PostAnn Hornaday
Nader haters may not be mollified, but An Unreasonable Man, like its subject itself, is a one-stop civics lesson no one should miss. Read full review
75
New York Daily NewsElizabeth Weitzman
Naive or wicked, idealist or egomaniac: Nothing in Ralph Nader's character is agreed upon by everyone in this fascinating biography - with one exception. And the title says it all. Read full review
75
New York PostKyle Smith
So why does the Democratic Party hate him so much? The answer, as this valuable (if blatantly pro-Nader) documentary makes clear, is hypocrisy. Read full review
75
PremiereScott Warren
It may most aptly sum up the who the hell Ralph Nader is and why he insists on creating such a ruckus. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy Burr
The ‘"unreasonable man" himself is interviewed, too, and he comes across as patient, articulate, and maddeningly uncompromising. Read full review
75
Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington
Mantel and Skrovan's documentary astutely reminds us of why we need the world's Naders. It's a reasonable movie about an often admirably unreasonable man. Read full review
75
Portland OregonianShawn Levy
A worthy and compelling look at a unique and essentially American figure. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleMick LaSalle
Those who love Nader will appreciate the respect and attention given his career. Yet others, even those for whom the mere sight of Nader's face is enough to cause a spike in blood pressure, will appreciate the film's evenhanded elucidation of Nader's faults. Read full review
75
Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam Arnold
States straight off that the man's legacy has been tarnished in most of the liberal world's eyes by his being the spoiler of the 2000 presidential election. "It will be engraved on his tombstone," says his friend Phil Donahue. Read full review
70
New York Magazine (Vulture)David Edelstein
What makes An Unreasonable Man so compelling is its perfectly fluid line. Simply put, the private Nader and the public Nader are the same: There are no contradictions with which to grapple, no byways to explore. Read full review
70
The Hollywood ReporterSura Wood
Editors Alexis Provost and Beth Gallagher cut back and forth between the talking heads so deftly that you have the illusion that Nader is answering his critics in real time in a very lively debate. Read full review
70
VarietyDennis Harvey
A basically admiring if critical portrait, documentary by Henriette Mantel and Stephen Skrovan (strangely, both standup comics and TV comedy writer-producers) finds more than enough absorbing material to hold interest through nearly three-hour runtime. Read full review
70
SalonAndrew O'Hehir
May indeed induce dizziness, sweating and hot-and-cold flashes among politically minded leftists. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust
Though the second half contains the fireworks, it's the film's first hour that is ultimately most memorable. Mantel and Skrovan do a commendable job in covering a lot of territory, mixing pertinent and entertaining archival footage with interviews. Read full review
67
Austin ChronicleMarc Savlov
Irony and unwavering idealism are bound up in this lengthy but instantly engaging and informative documentary. Read full review
60
The New York TimesA.O. Scott
Its ideological leanings are evident and unsurprising, but more screen time for Mr. Nader's pre-2000 (or pre-post-2000) adversaries would have made a richer film. Read full review
60
Wall Street JournalJoe Morgenstern
The film contends admiringly, and convincingly, that Ralph Nader's authentic sense of outrage is the reason he persists when he can't prevail.
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