Ivory Tower

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Ivory Tower

PG-13

2014

1h 30m

Documentary

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

84%

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50 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

As tuition spirals upward and student debt passes a trillion dollars, students and parents begin to wonder if college is worth the expense.

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Critics Consensus

Although Ivory Tower makes it clear that there isn't enough room in a 90-minute film to tackle spiraling student loan debt, it also serves as a compelling call for deeper investigation.

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Bill Goodykoontz

Arizona Republic

What makes "Ivory Tower" interesting is how it looks at not just the debt but the causes behind it, and other problems besetting higher education.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 10, 2014

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Moira MacDonald

Seattle Times

A groaning table of food for thought - almost too much for one movie, though presented with remarkable deftness.

Rated: 3/4

Jun 26, 2014

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Joe Williams

St. Louis Post-Dispatch

"Ivory Tower" makes a persuasive case that the gravest epidemic that's spreading from college campuses isn't student-loan debt but attention-deficit disorder.

Rated: 2.5/4

Jun 26, 2014

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David Bromwich

The New York Review of Books

...an elusive value that Ivory Tower conveys through other words and images: Universities exist not to answer the question but to register and reiterate its force.

Mar 13, 2019

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Frank Ochieng

Popoptiq

If anything Ivory Tower is a real slap in the face accompanied by a blunt kick to the butt in trying to get a bang for one's buck in the onslaught of educational emptiness feeding into financial uncertainty.

Rated: 3/4

Mar 3, 2019

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Alex Heeney

Seventh Row

Mixing historical footage, present-day interviews, and footage of real events on campuses, [Andrew] Rossi paints a troubling picture of how we got here.

Aug 14, 2017

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Audience Member

Inarguably, the most uneven society in the world. That Dean of Copper Union is a right horrible cunt who really needs drop kicking in the balls. You could gain a BA and end up worse than somebody working minimum wage for the rest of your life. No wonder for the first time in a generation the parents are more educated than their kids.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Audience Member

Importante para futuros e atuais acadêmicos. A crise das universidades nos States e certamente aqui e no mundo.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/19/23

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Audience Member

Great documentary, makes great points

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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Audience Member

I have spent my life in the education industry. Oh well, at least I did not spend it in the tobacco industry.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/23

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Audience Member

Very well done! Packs together statistics on how higher-ed tuition has sky-rocketed and the corporate greedheads behind the scam.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/20/23

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Audience Member

A Frightening and exciting look at what college is moving towards. College I feel was a great place to get integrated into society, and lets face it IU was a pretty good party school too! Its something I think everyone should get the chance to experience if they want to but my education really came much later in life. Learning online is the way of the future but what about the social part when will people get to interface and learn there are more than one way to think. I am conflicted. I think online to enhance your knowledge is fantastic. Not everyonelearns the same but the essential social skills are needed by everyone.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Andrew Rossi

Director

Jerry Brown

Actor

Clayton Christensen

Actor

Michael Crow

Actor

Andrew Delbanco

Actor

Drew Faust

Actor

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Synopsis

As tuition spirals upward and student debt passes a trillion dollars, students and parents begin to wonder if college is worth the expense.

Director: Andrew Rossi
Producer: Josh Braun, Andrew Rossi
Screenwriter: Andrew Rossi
Distributor: Samuel Goldwyn Company
Production Co: Participant Media
Rating: PG-13 (Some Suggestive Images|Some Partying Images)
Genre: Documentary, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 13, 2014, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $99.6K
Runtime: 1h 30m

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