Kaepernick & America

2022

1 hr. 22 min.

Documentary

List

93%

14 Reviews

Tomatometer

It was the summer of 2016, an election year with unrest rumbling through America. There were countless triggers--the murder videos of Philando Castille and Alton Sterling, the counterpunch of Alt-Right and Fake News, Black Lives Matter, Russian meddling--a discordant national cauldron ready to boil over. It was the birth of Trumpism, but nobody knew it yet. Then, Colin Kaepernick took a knee and America lost its mind. Kaep's knee touched down on the divide between America's Black and white tectonic plates, creating an earthquake in the eternal race debate. The aftershocks of his singular gesture have already rippled through our country for years. Kaepernick himself answered any and all thoughtful questions for a time, then stopped talking. And the resulting quiet has allowed for a thoughtful examination of the man and his story. It reveals layer upon layer of surprises and contradictions. Raised in a white family, he became a Black quarterback, while in fact, he is an adopted, biracial man. Inherently shy, he became the center of attention. The man everyone was talking about was mostly silent. He took a stand by taking a knee. Kaepernick & America examines the man and his protest, exploring the remarkable conflict stirred by such a symbolic gesture.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered Sep 19

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Apple TV

Rent Kaepernick & America on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

There are no Verified Audience reviews for Kaepernick & America yet.

Post a rating

Tommy Walker

Director

Ross Hockrow

Director

Colin Kaepernick

Self

Don Lemon

Self

Hue Jackson

Self

April Dinwoodie

Self

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

78%

89%

Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful

TRAILER

for Helmut Newton: The Bad and the Beautiful

93%

100%

Be Water

100%

92%

Athlete A

71%

53%

Mayor Pete

88%

80%

On These Grounds

TRAILER

for On These Grounds

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

A very powerful movie that makes some connections that I think puts Kaepernick in the same space alongside Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Tommy Smith, John Carlos, Jackie Robinson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Sep 9, 2022

Full Review

Brandon Towns

RogerEbert.com

Even if it’s all a bit too tidy, this documentary about Kaepernick is valuable for reminding viewers how far we still have to go.

Rated: 2.5/4

Sep 2, 2022

Full Review

Glenn Kenny

New York Times

The verbal analysis here isn’t always profound — one interviewee trots out the banal phrase “the conversation we should be having” — but the narrative as presented in archival footage (Kaepernick did not sit for an interview for this film) is exemplary.

Sep 1, 2022

Full Review

Sabrina McFarland

Common Sense Media

Star NFL quarterback rallies against U.S. racism; language.

Rated: 4/5

Sep 11, 2022

Full Review

Martha K. Baker

KDHX (St. Louis)

[Walker and Hockrow] show the political culture of the times, from Donald Trump's rise in 2016 to Robert E. Lee's statue's fall. Walker brings all his good sense to this film, having produced the brilliant Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am.

Sep 8, 2022

Full Review

Dennis Harvey

48 Hills

This fine documentary provides a level-headed overview of the kneeling protest against excessive police force that got twisted by conservative pundits.

Sep 7, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

It was the summer of 2016, an election year with unrest rumbling through America. There were countless triggers--the murder videos of Philando Castille and Alton Sterling, the counterpunch of Alt-Right and Fake News, Black Lives Matter, Russian meddling--a discordant national cauldron ready to boil over. It was the birth of Trumpism, but nobody knew it yet. Then, Colin Kaepernick took a knee and America lost its mind. Kaep's knee touched down on the divide between America's Black and white tectonic plates, creating an earthquake in the eternal race debate. The aftershocks of his singular gesture have already rippled through our country for years. Kaepernick himself answered any and all thoughtful questions for a time, then stopped talking. And the resulting quiet has allowed for a thoughtful examination of the man and his story. It reveals layer upon layer of surprises and contradictions. Raised in a white family, he became a Black quarterback, while in fact, he is an adopted, biracial man. Inherently shy, he became the center of attention. The man everyone was talking about was mostly silent. He took a stand by taking a knee. Kaepernick & America examines the man and his protest, exploring the remarkable conflict stirred by such a symbolic gesture.

Director: Tommy Walker, Ross Hockrow
Executive Producer: Don Lemon, John Battsek
Production Co: Triple Threat Television
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English

Most Popular at Home Now