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Butterfly in the Sky

Play trailer Poster for Butterfly in the Sky Released Mar 17 1h 27m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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100% Tomatometer 17 Reviews 90% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
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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Butterfly in the Sky

Critics Reviews

View All (17) Critics Reviews
Daniel 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 Neely Swanson Beverly Hills Courier Directors Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb... have assembled a cast of creators, directors, producers, executives and participants that make you happy the show happened in the first place and sad that it ever ended. Jun 4, 2024 Full Review Rachel Wagner rachelsreviews.net It is another sweet documentary that fans of the show like myself will really enjoy. Jun 2, 2024 Full Review Liz Kocan Decider It would have been enough to just watch some clips of a beloved old show and learn how it was made, but there was clearly an emotional resonance and catharsis... May 28, 2024 Full Review William Schwartz Book & Film Globe This is something that really jumps out about multiculturalism as practiced on Reading Rainbow and shown in Butterfly in the Sky–it presented other cultures as inherently interesting. May 5, 2024 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 Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (6) audience reviews
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 dave d A wonderful feature documentary on the PBS staple of 26 years, Reading Rainbow! Butterfly in the Sky doesn't even have a Wikipedia page, but head over to Netflix and enjoy if you've ever seen an episode of the children's show, or even if you haven't. It is upbeat and jovial. There is plenty of LaVar Burton and the show's creators. If you're down this will get you back up again! Final Score: 9.2/10 Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/27/24 Full Review Audience Member It was incredible. LeVar’s voice and tone brought back so many memories of feeling safe in school, as we watched Reading Rainbow. Just like the documentary says, reading rainbow gave a voice to the kids, however silly, or playful, they would review books they had read, and it made everyone feel connected to eachother. And what a beautiful formula. Read a book, share it, and go visit places that the book talks about. There’s so much magic and goodness in the show. I really wish we had a version of this for the coming generations. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 05/29/24 Full Review Allen R Very moving and uplifting documentary. Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 05/26/24 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 Read all reviews
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Butterfly in the Sky

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Movie Info

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
Producer
Bryan Storkel, Bradford Thomason, Brett Whitcomb
Distributor
AMC Theatres Distribution
Production Co
Sidestilt, XTR, Window Pictures
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Mar 17, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 30, 2024
Runtime
1h 27m
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