Jim Brown: All-American

Released Mar 22, 2002

2h 9m

Documentary

List

57%

Tomatometer

14 Reviews

82%

Audience Score

50+ Ratings

Spike Lee directed this portrait of pro football Hall of Famer, actor and civil rights activist Jim Brown.

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Gene Seymour

Newsday

Only an epic documentary could get it all down, and Spike Lee's Jim Brown: All American at long last gives its subject a movie worthy of his talents.

Rated: 3.5/4

Mar 22, 2002

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Megan Turner

New York Post

Overly long and worshipful bio-doc.

Rated: 1.5/4

Mar 22, 2002

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Stephen Holden

New York Times

As the movie traces Mr. Brown's athletic exploits, it is impossible not to be awed by the power and grace of one of the greatest natural sportsmen of modern times.

Rated: 3.5/5

Mar 22, 2002

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Jul 23, 2005

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Apollo Guide

Rated: 69/100

May 13, 2005

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Mark Pfeiffer

Reel Times: Reflections on Cinema

Treating the [controversial] incidents with kid gloves allows Jim Brown: All-American to fit into the encomium template, but a more forthright approach is demanded.

Rated: C

Apr 14, 2005

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sean l

Spike Lee analyzes the multi-faceted football legend in exhaustive detail. Beneath the stern, rock-solid exterior, Brown is an amazingly human figure, quietly thoughtful and passionately dedicated to what he believes in. It's motivational just listening to the man speak, whether he's fondly remembering his football heyday, discussing the implications of his acting career or admitting his personal faults as a partner and parent. He's not without a few blemishes, but which of us is? Coming into this with the expectation of little more than a rose-tinted lesson in sports history, I was surprised when the discussion about Brown's athletic career barely took up a third of the running time. Jim is much more than an athlete-turned B-Movie actor, and Lee expertly coaxes him into explaining why. A touch long-winded and egotistical, just like the man himself, it's mostly worth the investment.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Spike Lee

Director

Jim Brown

Self

Spike Lee

Producer

Ellen Kuras

Cinematographer

Sam Pollard

Film Editing

Allan Zaleski

Sound Effects Editor

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Synopsis

Spike Lee directed this portrait of pro football Hall of Famer, actor and civil rights activist Jim Brown.

Director: Spike Lee
Producer: Spike Lee
Distributor: HBO
Production Co: 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks, HBO Theatrical Documentary
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 22, 2002, Original
Runtime: 2h 9m