America's Heart and Soul

PG

Released May 1, 2004

1h 28m

Documentary

List

50%

64 Reviews

Tomatometer

46%

50+ Ratings

Audience Score

Documentary filmmaker Louis Schwartzberg embarks on a massive road trip through the United States to explore the nation's majestic landscape and learn more about the people who inhabit it. Along the way, he forms bonds with a disparate cross-section of Americans and emerges with a portrait of a rather diverse population. Despite the individuality of the people, though, they are united by common aspirations, and by their feelings for the country they call home.

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Critics Consensus

Louis Schwartzberg's sprawling tour across America highlights the heartland's visual beauty, but this resolutely uncritical inquiry in the nation's soul is frustratingly shallow.

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Audience Member

A documentary film directed by Louis Schwartzberg that features interviews and scenes from around the United States. The editing by Brian Funck and Tom McGah is well done as none of the segments lasted too long or left me wanting more. The segments covered several different cultures and traditions, both sacred and secular. My only real complaint was the lack of any Asian American segments. Several segments featured music and I appreciated those. The film did leave me with a sense of incompleteness, as it barely touched the cool things that happen in American everyday. As documentary films go, I think this one is worth your time.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

Full Review

s r

Beautiful, but confused at what it was trying to accomplish. It tried to hard to make things come together, but it never did. It was on Disney+.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Pretty good graphics! Watched it in my economics class, and it was alright, but not one of the best I've seen!!!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

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Audience Member

(First and only viewing - In my mid-twenties)

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

Full Review

Audience Member

It was alright. The opening sequence was neat, but the movie got boring after awhile. I think its way too long. Some segments were more interesting than others. I probably wouldn't care to watch the whole thing again.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Pretty good graphics! Watched it in my economics class, and it was alright, but not one of the best I've seen!!!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

Full Review

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Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

A big, beautiful love letter to America.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 21, 2010

Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman

New York Daily News

Even if [Schwartzberg's] choices feel somewhat clichd, there's no doubting the spirit of his subjects, who seem genuinely proud to share their thoughts and feelings for a few, too brief moments.

Rated: 2.5/4

Aug 13, 2004

Full Review

Robert Denerstein

Denver Rocky Mountain News

Rated: B

Jul 20, 2004

Full Review

Lisa Ann Cockrel

Christianity Today

Forget reality television. This is reality and it's all about people who don't need a head shot to validate their existence.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 1, 2006

Full Review

Jeffrey Overstreet

Looking Closer

... a whirlwind tour of the nation through the romantic, colorful, gravity-defying cinematography of director Louis Schwartzberg.

Rated: B+

Dec 6, 2004

Full Review

Tony Medley

tonymedley.com

a mixture of laughter, awe, admiration, and poignancy.

Rated: 9/10

Sep 24, 2004

Full Review

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Synopsis

Documentary filmmaker Louis Schwartzberg embarks on a massive road trip through the United States to explore the nation's majestic landscape and learn more about the people who inhabit it. Along the way, he forms bonds with a disparate cross-section of Americans and emerges with a portrait of a rather diverse population. Despite the individuality of the people, though, they are united by common aspirations, and by their feelings for the country they call home.

Director: Louie Schwartzberg
Producer: Jake Eberts
Distributor: Buena Vista Pictures
Production Co: Blacklight Films
Rating: PG (Mild Thematic Elements)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 1, 2004, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $314.0K
Runtime: 1h 28m
Sound Mix: SDDS, DTS, Dolby SR, Dolby Digital

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