Mule Skinner Blues
Sundance Channel Home Entertainment | Release Date: April 12, 2002 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
68
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 13 Critic Reviews
Positive:
11
Mixed:
2
Negative:
0

Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Film ThreatEric Campos
That’s it! I’ve had it! I’m packin’ up my shit and I’m movin’ to a trailer park down in…down south…somewhere. Apparently, there’s a lot more interesting people in these places than one could ever imagine meeting in their Starbucks bruised metropolitan areas or crosswalk guarded suburbs. Read full review
88
Boston GlobeJonathan Perry
Earnhart's fundamental compassion toward his subjects elevates a riveting work that feels like a hybrid of ''Crumb'' and ''Nashville,'' with maybe a side of ''King of the Hill'' tossed on the barbecue. Read full review
80
VarietyScott Foundas
Above all a rousing entertainment. Read full review
75
Christian Science MonitorDavid Sterritt
As deliciously eccentric as the real-life characters it chronicles. Read full review
70
New Times (L.A.)Luke Y. Thompson
Stephen Earnhart's documentary lovingly covers the process -- veering between pathos, inspiration and mockery Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderTed Shen
Only the epilogue, a happy ending tacked on to counter the cascading disappointments, seems contrived. Read full review
70
TV Guide MagazineFrank Lovece
This is as powerful a set of evidence as you'll ever find of why art matters, and how it can resonate far beyond museum walls and through to the most painfully marginal lives. Read full review
70
The New York TimesDana Stevens
It might be tempting to regard Mr. Andrew and his collaborators as oddballs, but Mr. Earnhart's quizzical, charming movie allows us to see them, finally, as artists. Read full review
70
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
An affectionate documentary about a free-spirited group. Read full review
63
Chicago TribuneJohn Petrakis
There's nothing more uplifting than a documentary that celebrates a man's capacity to dream, and nothing more depressing than one that mocks those dreams. Stephen Earnhart's Mule Skinner Blues walks the razor's edge between these approaches. Read full review
63
New York PostMegan Lehmann
Very funny. It's also heartbreakingly sad. Read full review
60
Village VoiceJosh Goldfein
Earnhart's auteurs are better adjusted, integrating their art into the daily routine of their (equally fucked-up) lives. Read full review
50
The A.V. ClubTasha Robinson
Comes uncomfortably close to mocking these unlikely filmmakers, raising questions about its director's intentions and his respect for the subjects' humanity. Read full review
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