Butterfly in the Sky

Released Mar 17

1 hr. 27 min.

Documentary

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100%

13 Reviews

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BUTTERFLY IN THE SKY tells the story of the beloved PBS children's series "Reading Rainbow," its iconic host LeVar Burton, and the challenges its creators faced in cultivating a love of reading through television. Two seconds into the bubbling synth sounds of its theme song will have a child of the 1980s or '90s exclaiming "Reading Rainbow!" Such is the beloved nature of the classic children's literary television show that introduced millions of kids to the wonder of books. Not only did the series insist on having kids speak to kids about their favorite stories, Reading Rainbow introduced the world to one of the most adored television hosts of all time, LeVar Burton. Thanks to his direct, non-patronizing and, most importantly, kind delivery, Burton became a conduit to learning for children of every background -- delving behind the pages to the people, places, and things each new story explored.

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Meredith

I loved the movie! I hope a new generation of kids will watch Reading Rainbow, and discover the joy of reading. I have always loved reading and exploring the world through books!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/17/24

Full Review

Joshua T

Great to revisit after all these years. The world needs more uplifting things in it like Reading Rainbow and Levar Burton.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/21/24

Full Review

Lisa W

I spent my life watching Reading Rainbow and it shaped me as a person. It created within me a strong desire to see the world and explore what was in it. The film gave me closure, knowing that the people who created, hosted, wrote, directed and contributed to the show had an entire generation in mind and did everything they could to open us up to a world we would have never known existed told to us through books. It also made me feel very sad for the generations growing up now who will never be able to experience this.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/21/24

Full Review

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Bradford Thomason

Director

Brett Whitcomb

Director

LeVar Burton

Self

Twila Liggett

Self

Larry Lancit

Self

Cecily Lancit

Self

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Dan Fienberg

Hollywood Reporter

It’s surely not without emotionally satisfying moments and it does a persuasive job of emphasizing the importance of Reading Rainbow and of star LeVar Burton, but the documentary is slight in its artistic and thematic ambition.

Jun 10, 2022

Full Review

Christie Cronan

Common Sense Media

Butterfly in the Sky is an emotionally inspiring, educational deep dive into one of the most beloved children's TV programs ever created.

Mar 25, 2024

Full Review

Samuel Leggett Jr.

JVS Media & Productions/Team JVS

Butterfly in the Sky is a Documentary on one the best children's broadcast series called Reading Rainbow. Understanding the levels of the love, devotion, blood/sweat & tears that went into this amazing production, this is the Best Documentary this year!

Rated: 10/10

Dec 26, 2022

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

A beautiful little piece of movie magic.

Rated: 4.0/4.0

Oct 5, 2022

Full Review

Mike McGranaghan

Aisle Seat

An entertaining encapsulation of what Reading Rainbow was, why it succeeded, and what its legacy has been.

Rated: 3/4

Oct 2, 2022

Full Review

Raquel Stecher

Quelle Movies

This film serves up a heaping dose of nostalgia while also enlightening viewers on the history and importance of this landmark television program.

Oct 2, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

BUTTERFLY IN THE SKY tells the story of the beloved PBS children's series "Reading Rainbow," its iconic host LeVar Burton, and the challenges its creators faced in cultivating a love of reading through television. Two seconds into the bubbling synth sounds of its theme song will have a child of the 1980s or '90s exclaiming "Reading Rainbow!" Such is the beloved nature of the classic children's literary television show that introduced millions of kids to the wonder of books. Not only did the series insist on having kids speak to kids about their favorite stories, Reading Rainbow introduced the world to one of the most adored television hosts of all time, LeVar Burton. Thanks to his direct, non-patronizing and, most importantly, kind delivery, Burton became a conduit to learning for children of every background -- delving behind the pages to the people, places, and things each new story explored.

Director: Bradford Thomason, Brett Whitcomb
Executive Producer: Whoopi Goldberg, Tom Leonardis, Bryn Mooser, Justin Lacob, Kathryn Everett, Tony Hsieh, Andy Hsieh, John Brooks Pounders, Dava Whisenant
Distributor: AMC Theatres Distribution
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 17, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 30, 2024

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