Dumbstruck

PG

Released Apr 22, 2011

1h 25m

Documentary

List

71%

28 Reviews

Tomatometer

78%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

Five ventriloquists discuss their emotional attachments to their dummies.

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Critics Consensus

Dumbstruck stands as the definitive -- and, not coincidentally, the only -- documentary about ventriloquists.

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Betsy Sharkey

Los Angeles Times

Quirky, if uneven.

Jul 6, 2011

Full Review

Amy Biancolli

San Francisco Chronicle

Rated: 3/4

Jun 3, 2011

Full Review

Chuck Bowen

Slant Magazine

Dumbstruck actually pays more convincing tribute to those willing to honor their interior calling regardless of the hardship.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 25, 2011

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

The kind of heart and humor-centered documentary that audiences will love and indie film fans will deeply appreciate.

Rated: 3.5/4.0

Sep 7, 2020

Full Review

Fr. Chris Carpenter

Movie Dearest

While the filmmakers do a good job showcasing their subjects' talents, I found the movie a bit lacking in exploring their personal lives and motivations.

Rated: B-

May 27, 2011

Full Review

Chris Hewitt

St. Paul Pioneer Press

I imagine there is an audience that's dying to find out where the next great ventriloquist is coming from, but "Dumbstruck" does not have much appeal for folks who aren't already fascinated by this topic.

Rated: 1.5/4

May 20, 2011

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Audience Member

Awesome movie!!!! Didn't want it to end.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great show and interesting to watch

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Another wedge of American culture is tilled in this documentary, which starts at the VentHaven Convention of Ft. Mitchell, Kentucky, an annual meeting place for the film's five subjects. The film certainly hinges on their individual stories, each aptly tragic. At the crux is 2007 winner of America's Got Talent Terry Fator, who quickly rises from obscurity to become one of Forbes top ten best paid comedians. His talent and specific skill for singing hauntingly beautiful odes to Etta James, Louis Armstrong, and Guns n' Roses makes him the most interesting and watchable of the motley crew. We're also given introspective looks into lesser known ventriloquists such as cruise ship hopper Dan Horn, obviously the best manipulator in the business, with realistic facial expressions and mannerisms. The quirkiest is former Miss. Ohio pageant winner Kim Yeager, who is not as talented as her counterparts, always trying to get a job on the lucrative cruise ship circuit, or leave it all behind and finally settle down in Cincinnati. Quick flashes of a thirteen year old boy with a black dummy, which doesn't fit in any discernible way, and a woman who resembles a bird and speaks like a lost alien being are thrown in as filler throughout. Nothing is truly revealed or discovered about the art of ventriloquism, though they sometimes say encouraging things to one another about their skills. We do see inside the dummies, the vast props and things they must buy to accommodate them, and the affects of a life that revolves around playing with dolls. Yes, the characters all have their own obstacles to overcome, but none of their emotions are mined. We never see the depth of the father-son relationship concerning the thirteen year old and his masculine inclined father, or the desperation behind the fading beauty queen's lackluster act. It's not boring, but it could have been much better and culturally informative.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/11/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Hilarious and interesting documentary.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Well I like seeing Ventriloquism so it was neat to see people who are starting out and some that are the top enteranters of right now and it wasn't a long movie but it seem to drag out a little bit but not saying it was bad it was good

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/28/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A warm and whole heartedly film, sure to make you fall in love with all the characters in this movie

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/31/23

Full Review

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Mark Goffman

Director

Bob Ashman

Self

Maria Ashman

Self

Robert J. Ashman

Self

Willie Brown

Self

Barry Burdette

Self

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Synopsis

Five ventriloquists discuss their emotional attachments to their dummies.

Director: Mark Goffman
Producer: Elon Musk
Distributor: Truly Indie
Production Co: David O. Sacks Productions
Rating: PG (Brief Suggestive Humor)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 22, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 19, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $15.0K
Runtime: 1h 25m

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