If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front
Oscilloscope Laboratories | Release Date: June 22, 2011 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
65
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 14 Critic Reviews
Positive:
6
Mixed:
6
Negative:
2
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Entertainment WeeklyOwen GleibermanJun 22, 2011
The film sweeps us up like a thriller, forcing us to at least ask whether terrorism like the ELF's (which targeted property, never human lives) might ever be justified. Read full review
90
Village VoiceMichael AtkinsonJun 21, 2011
Takes us through reams of fascinating drama, from the first heroic forest-saving protests to the reactive police violence and resulting dead-of-night firebombs to the core group's implosion after the FBI tightens the net. Read full review
83
Portland OregonianShawn LevyJul 21, 2011
Never loses sight of the human beings at the heart of the conflict -- no matter what side of the conflict they're on. Read full review
80
SalonAndrew O'HehirJun 23, 2011
A remarkably evenhanded story about an eager young activist who was drawn down a slippery slope toward property destruction and violence, and who wound up as a baffled defendant in a widely publicized federal terrorism case. Read full review
80
The New York TimesStephen HoldenJun 21, 2011
The film's sobriety and carefully balanced arguments make it an exemplary piece of reporting, although its emotional heat rarely rises to a boil. Read full review
63
Slant MagazineLauren WissotJun 18, 2011
While it may not pack the rollicking drama of his first feature, Street Fight, Marshall Curry's timely If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front likewise chronicles the personal tale behind political headlines. Read full review
60
New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanJun 24, 2011
Despite their efforts to address most sides of this complex story, each new interview leaves us wanting to know even more. Of course, that's the sign of a compelling film - but in this case, not an altogether satisfying one. Read full review
60
Time OutSam AdamsJun 21, 2011
Considering its incendiary subject, Curry's approach is disarmingly tame; perhaps reframing the debate in less volatile terms is some kind of lukewarm triumph. Read full review
60
The Hollywood ReporterJustin LoweJun 18, 2011
Curry and co-editor Matthew Hamachek assemble the wide-ranging material into an informative, compelling story line, although details about McGowan's upbringing and early years in the environmental movement slow the narrative down and some of the footage of McGowan puttering around his sister's apartment proves too mundane to hold much interest. Read full review
60
Boxoffice MagazineSteve RamosJun 18, 2011
Instead of a topic documentary, If a Tree Falls becomes the personal story of a well-intentioned man whose passion for the environment leads to serious consequences. Read full review
50
Boston GlobeMark FeeneyJul 28, 2011
The problem is that the heart of the movie is McGowan. He's just not a very compelling figure. He's a bit doughy and inert. Read full review
50
VarietyJohn AndersonJun 18, 2011
Lacks the passion of previous Marshall Curry films ("Racing Dreams," "Street Fight") -- something mirrored in his principal character, but also something that keeps the documentary from being as sharp as it might have been, or as up-to-date. Read full review
25
San Francisco ChronicleWalter AddiegoJul 14, 2011
Depressing. So is director Marshall Curry's avowal in the press notes that the film will leave viewers with "a more nuanced view of the world." Read full review
25
New York PostKyle SmithJun 24, 2011
In the appalling documentary If a Tree Falls, a narrator referring to an arson attack by the Earth Liberation Front solemnly intones, "In one night, they had accomplished what years of picketing and writing had never been able to do." Well, yes -- terrorism does make short work of red tape, doesn't it? Read full review
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