In Search of Greatness

PG-13

Released Nov 2, 2018

1h 20m

Documentary

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List

92%

26 Reviews

Tomatometer

88%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

Top athletes, including Michael Jordan, Pelé, Jerry Rice and Wayne Gretzky, explore the importance of nature versus nurture in determining athletic ability.

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Critics Consensus

Gabe Polsky's persuasive documentary comes close to Greatness, making a strong case for its intriguing thesis and chock full of refreshing insights into some of the world's most admired athletes.

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gray

Jerry Rice did not belong on this list he cheated his whole career except one game. Stick um was illegal how many players have dropped passes that cost a game but if they had stick um they would have caught. Jerry admitted he tried to play ONE game without but dropped everything throw his way. This guy needs to be taken out of the hall of fame or at minimum there should be a plaque below his bust detailing how he cheated his whole career. This is not and opinion, this is not a fan of another team Jerry himself admitted this on video. People today are saying get rid of anything that offends someone well Jerry offends all "real" football fans and is a blight on the real receivers who made all their catches without cheating. If in 2018 you wanted to add a football player then they should have added Tom Brady no 2 quarterbacks combined can compare to his stats. There are two athletes that were so dominate that they made other players look like kids playing against adults they are Michael Jordan and Tom Brady the two great GOATS of all time love them hate them it does not matter they are the best there was, the best there is and the best there ever will be. Maybe a player might come close to Jordan's stats but as and over all player none can compare. Tom Brady there will never be a quarterback as dominate and for as long as him and he is not done yet when he does hang up his cleats he will have 98.5% of the records. No he will not be able to beat Bret Farve's record for the most starts in a row but the stats that really matter he will have and every year for the last half a decade no matter where he was playing the announcers always said folks you will never see anything like Tom Brady again enjoy it because when he is gone there will never be another.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

09/05/20

Full Review

dave d

When you mix interviews of three of the best athletes that have ever lived in their respective sports (Wayne Gretzky, Pele, and Jerry Rice) and combine the opinions of a couple of intellectuals you get a brainy mix of what makes greatness. It's not for everybody, however despite there being no exact science for creating the perfect athlete this is a noteworthy and interesting documentary. Final Score: 7.7/10

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Audience Member

not being an athletic person myself, this was a thoroughly enjoyable documentary and the selection of Gretsky, Rice, and Pele are particularly good

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/02/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Great Film on High Performing Talent.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/07/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A sports interview compilation that struggles to find its own greatness; the secret seems to be the ability to fully obsess and master quickly although other mostly sports insights are explored with unevenly filmed interviewees.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

11/17/18

Full Review

Audience Member

Inspiring and entertaining! ISOG should be required viewing for coaches, parents, teachers, and educators looking to provide the next generation with the tools they need to achieve and find themselves...

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/21/23

Full Review

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Gabe Polsky

Director

Wayne Gretzky

Self

Jerry Rice

Self

Pelé

Self

Serena Williams

Self

Venus Williams

Self

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Danny Leigh

Financial Times

If my tone sounds peevish, yours might be too watching a film with the air of an essay by a bright undergraduate with pressing business elsewhere. Bring a red pen.

Rated: 3/5

May 13, 2020

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

This rather slight documentary on talent and genius in sport is chatty and anecdotal, but could perhaps have been boiled down further to a crisp hour-long documentary for television.

Rated: 3/5

May 7, 2020

Full Review

John DeFore

Hollywood Reporter

Stylistic missteps do little to mar the essential message, a bit of wisdom humanity has to remind itself of anew in every generation, minting new cliches like "it's the journey, not the destination."

Nov 9, 2018

Full Review

Chris Hunneysett

Daily Mirror (UK)

enjoy this inspirational and thought-provoking documentary

Rated: 3/5

May 22, 2020

Full Review

Veronica Lee

The Arts Desk

Polsky's film isn't, unlike its sporting subjects in their heyday, fast-moving or exciting, but what it lacks in pace it more than makes up for in absorbing content.

Rated: 4/5

May 19, 2020

Full Review

Alistair Harkness

Scotsman

It's a very watchable doc, if a little vague when it expands its scope beyond its main interviewees to explore musical mavericks like Bowie, Hendrix and The Beatles.

Rated: 3/5

May 12, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Top athletes, including Michael Jordan, Pelé, Jerry Rice and Wayne Gretzky, explore the importance of nature versus nurture in determining athletic ability.

Director: Gabe Polsky
Producer: Michael Antinoro, Alan Polsky, Liam Satre-Meloy, Will Staeger
Screenwriter: Gabe Polsky
Distributor: AOS
Production Co: Gabriel Polsky Productions, IMG Films
Rating: PG-13 (Some Partial Nudity|Brief Language)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 2, 2018, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 3, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA): $54.2K
Runtime: 1h 20m

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