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      My Kid Could Paint That

      PG-13 Released Oct 5, 2007 1h 22m Documentary Mystery & Thriller List
      94% Tomatometer 83 Reviews 78% Audience Score 5,000+ Ratings After watching her dad paint, 4-year-old Marla Olmstead decides she'd like to be a painter too. Showing remarkable facility, she's soon got paintings hanging in a local coffee shop and a handful of interested buyers. A local paper picks up the story, followed by the New York Times, and overnight Marla is hailed as a child prodigy. But not everybody is convinced that Marla painted the works alone. In the wake of a "60 Minutes" piece about her, it begins to look more and more like she had help. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Aug 22 Buy Now

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      My Kid Could Paint That

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      Critics Consensus

      Director Amir Bar-Lev grapples with exposing the authenticity of four-year-old Marla's paintings at the sake of burdening her publicly shamed family to transfixing results.

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      Critics Reviews

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      Hank Sartin Time Out Rated: 4/5 Nov 18, 2011 Full Review Mark Bourne Film.com New York Times senior art critic Michael Kimmelman offers sharp insights when he mentions how Marla's painting reflects not just 'innocence' and what our psyches project into them, but also 'the cynicism of the art world.' Mar 11, 2008 Full Review Amy Nicholson I.E. Weekly A fascinating exploration of art, creativity, and family dynamics that takes an unexpected right hook. Rated: A Feb 22, 2008 Full Review Jeff Otto ReelzChannel.com Rated: 8/10 Feb 9, 2011 Full Review Jennifer Merin About.com Questions of authenticity surrounding four year old Marla Olmstead's paintings occasion filmmaker Amir Bar-Lev's insightful investigation about media frenzy and public perception, and the very nature of nonfigurative art. Rated: 4/5 Jun 16, 2009 Full Review Jeffrey Overstreet Looking Closer One of art's richest rewards is its way of teaching us about our assumptions, doubts, and capacity for faith. ... My Kid Could Paint That gets people thinking and talking. Rated: A+ Nov 26, 2008 Full Review Read all reviews

      Audience Reviews

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      Kyle M Documented ambiguity investigated and examined over this intriguing wonder that turned cynical regarding the true artist in the picture, stirring other differential topics into the questioning mix aside from reaching your own verdict on the matter with those as added subtexts amid the controversary. There's a natural truth as observed upon examined across those associated topics compiled amid a thought-provoking exposure that unveils the true "artistry" behind those criticisms and receptions. But that's not ideally the main focus to think about when the question we've been silently asked is who's the real painter behind the presented abstract expressionism: the growing toddler or her amateur painter of a father? Tastes and cynical perspectives create individual judgements, but personally from experiencing different art forms and artists' own ranges, my verdict is that the girl's truly gifted in expressing her imagination mimicking her father's detailed skills into her own instinctual drawings that certainly says something about the artistic culture. Even though time moved on, this honest documentary surely is timeless that'll rejuvenate discussions over the matter from intrigue to fascinating investment. (B+) Rated 4 out of 5 stars 10/04/23 Full Review Gareth v An interesting enough doco that says more about the nature and value of art than it does about the Olmsteads. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/20/23 Full Review john m The controversy is probably why many people would want to watch a documentary on this story but to me, it's not nearly as interesting as the actual exploration of the modern art world we get a glimpse of here, and what makes art valid or not. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member My Kid Could Paint That was not at all what I expected going in. While it does have something to say about modern art and the strange ways that people assign value to these paintings, it is much more about one little girl. Marla Olmsted is a 4-year-old who came to prominence because some paintings of hers were seen as brilliant works of modern art, which brought lots of money and perhaps some unwanted fame to her and her family. The documentary takes you on an emotional ride with this family and the film-maker himself clearly struggles with what story he will tell with this footage. He allows you to draw your own conclusions about what is the truth, but clearly he has his own opinions. It’s tough to watch at times because the movie makes you feel intrusive in the private life of a sweet family, and you want to believe everything they say. I’m not particularly fond of documentaries, but My Kid Could Paint That was one that clicked for me, and I’d recommend it to others. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/18/18 Full Review joel h My Kid Can Paint That takes a while to get where it's going, but when it does, it's impactful. You feel nearly as uncomfortable as the filmmaker when the final confrontation happens. And while the documentary never really answers the big question, maybe that's the point. Maybe we're supposed to draw our own conclusions regarding who is telling the truth. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/30/23 Full Review Audience Member As much a look at the art world itself as an exposé on questionable parenting, My kid Could Paint That is a essential viewing. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Movie Info

      Synopsis After watching her dad paint, 4-year-old Marla Olmstead decides she'd like to be a painter too. Showing remarkable facility, she's soon got paintings hanging in a local coffee shop and a handful of interested buyers. A local paper picks up the story, followed by the New York Times, and overnight Marla is hailed as a child prodigy. But not everybody is convinced that Marla painted the works alone. In the wake of a "60 Minutes" piece about her, it begins to look more and more like she had help.
      Director
      Amir Bar-Lev
      Producer
      John Battsek, Richard Klein
      Screenwriter
      Amir Bar-Lev
      Distributor
      Sony Pictures Classics
      Production Co
      A&E IndieFilms, Passion Pictures, BBC
      Rating
      PG-13 (Language)
      Genre
      Documentary, Mystery & Thriller
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Oct 5, 2007, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jan 5, 2014
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $231.3K
      Runtime
      1h 22m
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