Heart of the Beholder

R

2005

1h 46m

Drama

List

83%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

53%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

After a family opens the first video store in St. Louis, a corrupt prosecutor backed by religious zealots ruins the business.

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Audience Member

Between a 6/10 and 7/10, we are given a disturbing little story that is worth telling.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Audience Member

best movie drama based on true events, it has hardship, religion, suspense, kidnapping all in wrap in a real life experience

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Audience Member

ï somewhere in this movie is the germ of an absolute classic. The story is particularly appropriate for right now. But there are problems: the budget being the biggest one of all. The script is weak, there are so many contrived moments in it (regardless of whether they reflect the truth of the story or not, they are not presented in any believable way). The direction is also badly flawed; the pacing makes no sense. Worse, the tone drastically changes in the third act, with the movie almost becoming a revenge comedy. The ending feels totally imposed by the need to have some kind of climax just for the sake of it. What this story needed is a writer who explore the various nuances and ambiguous character-relationships, not just of the DA with unsavouries but (if the script is accurate at all) the problematic relationships of the main character. There is so much potential there, it's unbelievable. A better director would have made a longer movie, for one thing, and, provided there was a good script, would have been able to avoid the pacing issues that plague it. It's too bad. Someone could have made an amazing movie out of this story, instead we get something amateur. It tries hard, but that isn't saying much.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

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Audience Member

A fascinating true story about video store chain owners in the '80s who were terrorized by a religious group when they refused to take "The Last Temptation of Christ" off their store's shelves. Though dark at times, it's still a bit cable-movie-of-the-weekish but overall the film works, entertains and shows the dangers of censorship.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Ken Tipton

Director

Barbara Allyne Bennet

Miss Bennet

Carrie Armstrong

Vesta

Conrad Bachmann

Rudy

Priscilla Barnes

Miss Olivia

April Barnett

Rhonda

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Film Threat

Rated: 3.5/5

Jun 5, 2007

Full Review

Film Threat

Rated: 3/5

Jan 9, 2006

Full Review

Ryan Cracknell

Movie Views

Clear, to the point but not entirely grabbing.

Jul 15, 2005

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Dragan Antulov

Draxblog Movie Reviews

HEART OF THE BEHOLDER succeeds in telling a compelling story in an entertaining and interesting way

Rated: 5/10

Jun 26, 2005

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Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

an engaging, well-acted, and often delightful little movie

Rated: 4/5

Jun 25, 2005

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Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

A disturbing story that is worth telling.

Rated: B

Jun 7, 2005

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Synopsis

After a family opens the first video store in St. Louis, a corrupt prosecutor backed by religious zealots ruins the business.

Director: Ken Tipton
Producer: Darlene Lieblich
Screenwriter: Ken Tipton
Production Co: Susan Johnston Casting
Rating: R (Language|Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): May 23, 2017
Runtime: 1h 46m

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