Citizen U.S.A.: A 50 State Road Trip
  • Network: HBO
  • Series Premiere Date: Jul 4, 2011
Metascore
66

Generally favorable reviews - based on 8 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 4 out of 8
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 8
  3. Negative: 0 out of 8

Critic Reviews

  1. Baltimore Sun
    Reviewed by: David Zurawik
    Jul 7, 2011
    80
    This film was one of the most pleasant surprises I've had in a year of screening hundreds of TV productions. In fact, it made my weekend.
  2. Washington Post
    Reviewed by: Hank Stuever
    Jul 6, 2011
    80
    Beyond its breakneck speed and miles logged, Citizen U.S.A. couldn't be more easy or straightforward: From tiny ceremonies in county courthouses to massive arena-sized gatherings in big cities, Pelosi presents a surprising collage of that essential moment when people who've immigrated to the United States become official Americans.
  3. Boston Herald
    Reviewed by: Mark A. Perigard
    Jul 5, 2011
    75
    While the documentary sometimes feel hurried, Pelosi has written a superior companion book of the same title that allows the newcomers to better share their stories.
  5. San Francisco Chronicle
    Reviewed by: David Wiegand
    Jul 5, 2011
    75
    Pelosi's film may not tell "the other side of the story" directly, but if it does nudge us to consider these issues, viewing the film becomes more rewarding.
  6. New York Daily News
    Reviewed by: David Hinckley
    Jul 5, 2011
    60
    In the end, Citizen U.S.A. is heartening because it neither doubts nor ennobles those who have come here and decided to stay. Rather, it suggests that like every other citizen, each now has the freedom to succeed or fail.
  7. PopMatters
    Reviewed by: Cynthia Fuchs
    Jul 5, 2011
    60
    As the film's "50 state road trip" reveals the multiplicity of these experiences, it shows as well that some "freedoms" have costs.
  8. Newsday
    Reviewed by: Verne Gay
    Jul 5, 2011
    50
    Over these 52 minutes, she hits 50 states, so of necessity the pace is brisk and to the point. You don't really get to know anybody, but a sea of faces from the Mideast to the Far East tell her of their hopes and dreams in short, sharp sound bites.
  9. Los Angeles Times
    Reviewed by: Mary McNamara
    Jul 5, 2011
    50
    Everything is presented far too briefly. For all her geographic ambition, Alexandra Pelosi winds up conducting an exit poll rather than telling a real story.