Dear Mr. Brody

Released Mar 4, 2022

1h 37m

Documentary

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97%

32 Reviews

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When 21-year-old hippie-millionaire Michael Brody Jr. decided to give away his $25-million fortune to anyone in need, he ignited a psychedelic spiral of events. Instant celebrities, Brody and his wife Renee, were mobbed by the public, scrutinized by the press, and overwhelmed by the crush of personal letters responding to his extraordinary offer. Fifty years later, an enormous cache of these letters are discovered--unopened. In this riveting follow-up to 2016's TOWER, award-winning director Keith Maitland reveals the incredible story of Michael Brody Jr.--and the countless struggling Americans who sought his help--to create a deeply moving meditation on desire, need, philanthropy, and love.

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Critics Consensus

Dear Mr. Brody uses its stranger-than-fiction true story to take a touching look at how an act of kindness can reverberate for years.

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dave d

Hubby and Wife date night brought the feature-length documentary about a guy who pledged to save the world with money and love. It's a fascinating tale of Michael Brody, Jr. We went in cold and were totally taken in my the melodrama created by Brody from his actions in the early 1970s. Interviews with Brody's wife and son and several people close to him at the time are combined with people found who wrote letters to Brody. Tears will be shed if you have empathy. The story shifts to mental illness in way that is very well executed. The story is thin, however, Keith Maitland does his darnedest to squeeze 96 minutes from the doc. Hubby: 8.8/Wife 8.8/Average: 8.8/10

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/25/24

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Keith Maitland

Director

Michael Brody Jr.

Self

Renee Brody

Self

Melissa Robyn Glassman

Self

Edward R. Pressman

Self

Keith Maitland

Writer

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Dear Mr. Brody: Trailer 1

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Leah Greenblatt

Entertainment Weekly

Unevenly executed but still compelling: a far-out cautionary tale of money, media, and gonzo idealism gone wrong.

Rated: B

Apr 29, 2022

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Odie Henderson

RogerEbert.com

Dear Mr. Brody does a fine job of showing how the financial chasm between rich and poor people is as wide and insurmountable today as it was in 1970.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 5, 2022

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Ty Burr

Ty Burr's Watch List

The film is over-directed and antic in spots but unexpectedly touching in others, and it’s paced for maximum involvement and lingering melancholy.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 4, 2022

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Greg Carlson

Vague Visages

Key players in the saga, led by the clear-eyed and contemplative Renee DuBois Brody — who married Michael after knowing him just a few weeks — provide helpful context and connect events of more than half a century ago to today.

Jul 28, 2023

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Michael Barrett

PopMatters

Among many topics raised in Dear Mr. Brody, the story of a man who gave away his ill-gotten money for need, not greed, is how media and money blur our already imperfect perception of mental illness.

Jun 16, 2023

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Frank Swietek

One Guy's Opinion

Absorbing, and ultimately quite moving, documentary...a surprisingly affecting treatment of a fleeting moment in American history that offers a glimpse into the national character.

Rated: B+

Apr 28, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

When 21-year-old hippie-millionaire Michael Brody Jr. decided to give away his $25-million fortune to anyone in need, he ignited a psychedelic spiral of events. Instant celebrities, Brody and his wife Renee, were mobbed by the public, scrutinized by the press, and overwhelmed by the crush of personal letters responding to his extraordinary offer. Fifty years later, an enormous cache of these letters are discovered--unopened. In this riveting follow-up to 2016's TOWER, award-winning director Keith Maitland reveals the incredible story of Michael Brody Jr.--and the countless struggling Americans who sought his help--to create a deeply moving meditation on desire, need, philanthropy, and love.

Director: Keith Maitland
Producer: Michael Bloom, Dan Cogan, Geralyn White Dreyfous, Jon Katz
Screenwriter: Keith Maitland
Distributor: Greenwich Entertainment / Discovery+
Production Co: Twelve21 Productions, Alive Enterprises, Pressman Film, Go-Valley
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 4, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 28, 2022
Runtime: 1h 37m

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