Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

Released Jul 8, 2016

1 hr. 31 min.

Documentary

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86%

44 Reviews

Tomatometer

67%

250+ Ratings

Audience Score

Producer Norman Lear creates "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons," "Sanford and Son," "Good Times" and other classic TV shows.

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Critics Consensus

Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You pays tribute to its subject's brilliant legacy with an entertaining primer peppered with his own fascinating reflections.

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john m

Norman Lear was just a big name to me all these years as I never actually went back and watched The Jeffersons, All in the Family and the others. And didn't realize how much he changed the television studio system on tackling radical and realistic issues. This doc is highly focused on how his family life influenced his craft but also a strong and well-paced essay on how his shows shaped various voices and cultures for mainstream sitcoms.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Solid look at the man and his career but a little more look at the actual shows might have been nice. Also, it kind of makes the argument that it was him alone that was responsible for everything. Well, you had writers, actors, directors, etc that did a little helping too! Still, he's super important and this was a great peer into why.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/12/23

Full Review

Audience Member

I streamed this on PBS as part of the American Masters series. This documentary uses a kid in a backstage dressing room or on stage under a spotlight wearing Lear's signature white hat to break up the sections of the narrative with black box theatricality. This is the tale of a humble life and a fascinating career. Norman Lear's work in television speaks volumes. In the interviews he is uncomfortable revealing things about himself. This doc made me excited to watch more of his work. Many, many actors who worked on his shows back in the day and Hollywood folks who grew up watching his shows sit down for interviews. Shows produced and written by Lear were full of laughs and also touched on political issues. Despite further political divides in recent times, this documentary about a guy speaking to America through their TV sets in the 70s and 80s was inspiring. It makes you think that Americans could become better versions of themselves.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/01/23

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Audience Member

Exactly what I needed to watch tonight.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/25/23

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Audience Member

Forgetting what a trailblazer his shows were before een VCR's.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/26/23

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Audience Member

fun, moving, meaningful- the best movie I have seen in a long while.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

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Heidi Ewing

Director

Rachel Grady

Director

Norman Lear

Self

John Amos

Self

George Clooney

Self

Louise Lasser

Self

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Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You: Trailer 1

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Dorothy Rabinowitz

Wall Street Journal

This is a story of a life of enormous fulfillment-eloquently told and openhearted as related by the subject himself, now in his early 90s, who knows, as he reveals, what to value in life.

Oct 20, 2016

Full Review

Tom Long

Detroit News

An affectionate reminder of what an impact one writer-producer had on the modern world.

Rated: B

Aug 5, 2016

Full Review

Ellen Gray

Philadelphia Inquirer

Just Another Version is less sweeping than Lear's memoir but filled with smartly chosen clips.

Rated: 3.5/4

Aug 5, 2016

Full Review

Brian T. Carney

Washington Blade

Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady use some innovative techniques to create a multi-faceted portrait of a man whose groundbreaking television series challenged America’s ideas about gender, race, class and sexuality.

Dec 21, 2022

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Linda and Al Lerner

Movies and Shakers

The film is a little slow going in the beginning... But the story of his childhood, service in the military, how he got into show business, creations and collaborations and his marriages include fascinating details.

Oct 23, 2019

Full Review

Jason Gorber

POV Magazine

The film showcases Lear's talent without eulogizing him, presenting a warts-and-all take that still manages to highlight the remarkable vitality that this iconic TV man still exudes.

Aug 15, 2017

Full Review

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Synopsis

Producer Norman Lear creates "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons," "Sanford and Son," "Good Times" and other classic TV shows.

Director: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Executive Producer: Michael Kantor
Distributor: Music Box Films
Production Co: Loki Films, American Masters
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 8, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 26, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $70.1K

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