Far from the Tree
Sundance Selects | Release Date: July 20, 2018 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
70
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 15 Critic Reviews
Positive:
13
Mixed:
1
Negative:
1
Watch Now
Stream On
Buy on
Stream On
Stream On
Stream On
Expand

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
83
Christian Science MonitorPeter RainerAug 3, 2018
The documentary is an attempt, in the words of those behind the film, to “investigate the very nature of family itself.” That this attempt is overreaching and diffuse does not detract from the film’s sporadic power. Read full review
83
Entertainment WeeklyChris NashawatyJul 19, 2018
All of the families in Far From the Tree are compelling — their trials unimaginable and their spirits indomitable. Read full review
80
Los Angeles TimesNoel MurrayJul 26, 2018
This is a powerful movie about human nature and how no matter where we end up — and who we end up with — we wake up each day and adjust. Read full review
80
New York Magazine (Vulture)David EdelsteinJul 20, 2018
It’s quite a mix: Far From the Tree throws so much at you that you’ll want to pick up the book and read (or reread) it. You might be surprised that one of Solomon’s subjects is the accomplished composer Nico Muhly, who’s on the spectrum. Muhly (along with Yo La Tengo) composed the movie’s music, which, like the film and book, doesn’t settle for easy harmonies. Read full review
80
Village VoiceDaphne HowlandJul 18, 2018
It’s a painstaking inspection of parenthood, which is fraught even in less formidable circumstances than what these families face, and often harrowing. But it’s also a contemplation of what it means to be human and, ultimately, optimistic. Read full review
79
Paste MagazineAndrew CrumpAug 7, 2018
Trump plays no part in Rachel Dretzin’s Far from the Tree, a documentary distilled from Andrew Solomon’s nonfiction novel of the same name, but the film rebukes his cruelty regardless by doing what cinema does so well: highlighting humanity. Read full review
75
San Francisco ChronicleG. Allen JohnsonAug 2, 2018
There is much to think about in Far From the Tree, a worthy and at times tender film. Read full review
75
Boston GlobeTy BurrAug 2, 2018
Brisk and deeply engrossing. Read full review
75
Washington PostAnn HornadayAug 1, 2018
One of the great gifts of Far From the Tree is simple visibility, whereby viewers are given the opportunity to watch people live their lives, share their wisdom and flourish within the loving care of their family and friends. Read full review
75
RogerEbert.comGlenn KennyJul 20, 2018
People can find ways to be happy now because they have more choices, more resources. In a world that seems in many respects to be headed to hell in a handbasket, that’s a fact worth celebrating, and this movie does so in an appropriately humane manner. Read full review
75
Movie NationRoger MooreJul 17, 2018
Solomon’s book Far From the Tree becomes Rachel Dretzin’s upbeat documentary of the same name, a film that celebrates “difference” even as it accepts the heartbreak and agonizing effort it takes for people and society to change attitudes towards those we have historically treated as “abnormal…diseased…retarded” and “broken.” Read full review
75
The Film StageJohn FinkMay 6, 2018
It’s a film with an inspiring message that’s often uneven despite the coherence of its message guided by Solomon. As affirming and enlightening as the experience is, it does suffer from the trappings of flying into these characters lives and popping out rather than spending a considerable amount of time in their shoes. Read full review
70
The New York TimesBen KenigsbergJul 19, 2018
At an hour and a half, the often-inspiring documentary Far From the Tree plays like a companion piece to or a preview for Andrew Solomon’s best-selling 2012 book, which, with notes, runs more than 1,000 pages. Read full review
50
VarietyPeter DebrugeJul 25, 2018
Good intentions aside, Far From the Tree puts all its energy into disproving a thesis that many of us don’t actually believe — that the tree is inherently perfect, and that anything other than a direct copy of one’s parents is a crisis in need of resolving. Read full review
25
Slant MagazineDiego SemereneJul 19, 2018
The very act of having kids and demanding perfect conformity from them is never questioned by the film. Read full review
More From This Movie

70 Critic Reviews

7.6 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