Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe

2023

1 hr. 30 min.

Documentary

Biography

List

89%

9 Reviews

Tomatometer

100%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

A detailed look about at famed, iconic television show from Canada that impacted multiple generations and its on-going legacy.

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Prime Video

Watch Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe with a subscription on Prime Video.

Ken B

A nice heartwarming documentary filled with ample kindness and lots of positivity. I remember watching Mr. Dressup when I was just a little fart in the windstorm (as my father used to say!) growing up in Toronto.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/02/24

Full Review

Roy J

I've seen the film twice: the first time in a packed theatre at the Atlantic Film Festival, where it was received with a couple of ovations and not a dry eye in the house. I watched it with my son, who saw Ernie Coombs' program in its last years; I experienced it in its first. "Mr. Dressup" is a moving, sensitive tribute to a rare individual, a man who devoted his life to children and, in the process, influenced multiple generations of Canadians. He was a treasure and Robert McCallum's film is too.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/12/23

Full Review

Michael W

This showbiz documentary was really good. The entire crew did a fantastic job on telling the story of Ernie Coombs, the host of the popular Canadian kids show, Mr. Dressup. It really goes into detail on how he became one of the most popular iconic figure in Canada and what his life was like outside of the show. If you haven't seen this documentary, check it out sometime. It's a must see.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

10/14/23

Full Review

Philip B

This gentle documentary transports you to a place of human kindness.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/13/23

Full Review

Nathan S

Absolutely fantastic movie. Embodies the spirit of kindness and what Mr dressup was about. Fantastic movie.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/12/23

Full Review

Chase S

This documentary gives you a insight into the life of a man who was with so many of us canadains every single morning. The narrative of the documentary is moving and cuts deep in all the right places. I sobbed into and well after the closing credits. But it's not necessarily sad tears but happy tears that Mr.Dressup's existence will be forever in out hearts.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/11/23

Full Review

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Rob McCallum

Director

Judith Lawrence

Self

Chris Coombs

Self

Cathie LeFort

Self

Nina Keogh

Self

Susan Marcus

Self

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Mike Usinger

Georgia Straight

Director Robert McCallum’s documentary serves as a gentle love letter to the man who kept Canadian kids entertained for four decades.

Nov 6, 2023

Full Review

Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

Don’t come to Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe, looking for dirt. There isn’t any. There are no bodies buried in the Tickle Trunk. It’s Mr. Dressup for goodness sake. It's a feel-good blast of nostalgia, a portal to a kinder and gentler time.

Rated: 3.5/5

Oct 13, 2023

Full Review

John Serba

Decider

It’s a sweet film, even if it sometimes feels sketchy and incomplete.

Oct 13, 2023

Full Review

Dorothy Woodend

The Tyee (British Columbia)

Director Robert McCallum has reams of material, and the film boasts a wealth of archival clips and interviews as well as more intimate recollections from Coombs’ children and grandchildren...

Oct 3, 2023

Full Review

Jim Slotek

Original Cin

Stoics be warned. If you fought to not emotionally “break” during the Mr. Rogers doc Won’t You Be My Neighbor, you may be even more inclined to snap, “I’m not crying, you’re crying!” during Mr. Dressup: The Magic of Make-Believe.

Rated: A

Sep 27, 2023

Full Review

David Nusair

Reel Film Reviews

...a top-notch piece of work...

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 20, 2023

Full Review

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Synopsis

A detailed look about at famed, iconic television show from Canada that impacted multiple generations and its on-going legacy.

Director: Rob McCallum
Executive Producer: Sonya Di Rienzo, Greg Floyd, Donna Luke, Rob McCallum
Screenwriter: Rob McCallum, Jordan Christopher Morris
Distributor: Amazon Studios
Production Co: Hawkeye Pictures, Pyre Productions , Marblemedia
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 10, 2023

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