Hands on a Hardbody: The Documentary
Ideal Enterprises | Release Date: July 10, 1998 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
82
METASCORE
Universal acclaim based on 9 Critic Reviews
Positive:
7
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Film ThreatStaff (Not Credited)
Culled from the over 100 hours of videotape Bindler and his tiny band of masochists shot during the contest and mixed with priceless pre-contest interviews, Hands… was far and away the most hysterical and engaging documentary since Spinal Tap, only this was for real. Read full review
100
Austin ChronicleRussell Smith
Yet a nigh-miraculous blend of high spirits, poignancy, gentle satire, and unpretentious insight into the nature of human aspiration make this one of the most impressive films you're likely to see this year. Read full review
90
VarietyTodd McCarthy
A classic piece of Americana, a down-home documentary that not only produces gales of laughter but also manages, by the end, to come together as a highly unlikely metaphor for the rigors of human existence. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeJay Carr
Bindler's recognition of the rich and intense human drama boiling away beneath the laconic surfaces and underplayed verbalizations turns Hands on a Hardbody into a surprisingly affecting metaphor for American life as an ongoing exercise in endurance. [30 Jul 1999, p.D7]
83
The A.V. ClubJoshua Klein
The camaraderie among these strangers tossed together by fate is inspiring, as the competition gives way to good sportsmanship and, ultimately, good will. Read full review
80
The New YorkerAnita Gates
When Sydney Pollack made They Shoot Horses, Don't They? in 1969, the desperation of its dance-marathon contestants was palpable, but the film's Depression-era setting allowed the audience some distance. Hands on a Hard Body hits closer to home. Read full review
75
Entertainment WeeklyLisa Schwarzbaum
Hands On a Hard Body itself is sometimes as bumpy as a panhandle dirt road, but out of the low-budget roughness and moments of Lettermanesque ain’t-folks-nutty humor, sharp portraits emerge of contestants as well as of the families and friends who massage, feed, and revivify the flagging bodies. Read full review
50
San Francisco ChroniclePeter Stack
It's engaging as a non-drama of people doing nothing, but suffering a lot. Read full review
50
TV Guide MagazineStaff (Not Credited)
Bindler's slice of the American pie is a slim one, but it's fascinating none the less. Read full review
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