Butterfly in the Sky

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Butterfly in the Sky

Released Mar 17, 2024

1h 27m

Documentary

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19 Reviews

90%

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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.

Courtney Howard

Variety

Instead of reading like a storybook similar to those on the Emmy-winning series, this rise-and-fall eulogy leaves us with a profound sense of loss, courtesy of the bureaucratic monsters who callously dismissed the show’s societal benefits.

Dec 24, 2024

Full Review

Daniel Fienberg

The 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

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Tynan Yanaga

Film Inquiry

Directors Bradford Thomason and Brett Whitcomb‘s Butterfly in The Sky offers up a fitting origin story of a show that began as a noble endeavor.

Apr 4, 2025

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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

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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

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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

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Allen R

Very moving and uplifting documentary.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/26/24

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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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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: Window Pictures, Sidestilt, XTR
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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