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Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

Play trailer 2:21 Poster for Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You 2016 1h 31m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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86% Tomatometer 44 Reviews 67% Popcornmeter 250+ Ratings
Producer Norman Lear creates "All in the Family," "The Jeffersons," "Sanford and Son," "Good Times" and other classic TV shows.
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Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

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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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Critics Reviews

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Dorothy Rabinowitz Wall Street Journal 10/20/2016
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. Go to Full Review
Tom Long Detroit News 08/05/2016
B
An affectionate reminder of what an impact one writer-producer had on the modern world. Go to Full Review
Ellen Gray Philadelphia Inquirer 08/05/2016
3.5/4
Just Another Version is less sweeping than Lear's memoir but filled with smartly chosen clips. Go to Full Review
Don Shanahan Every Movie Has a Lesson Jul 23
4/5
In impeccable health and spry as ever at 94 years old, Norman Lear tells much of his own story without a hint of gallows humor while concurrently recording the audio version of his printed memoirs. Go to Full Review
Brian T. Carney Washington Blade 12/21/2022
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. Go to Full Review
Linda and Al Lerner Movies and Shakers 10/23/2019
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. Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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03/13/2017 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. See more 12/22/2016 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. See more 11/04/2016 Exactly what I needed to watch tonight. See more 08/08/2016 Forgetting what a trailblazer his shows were before een VCR's. See more 08/07/2016 fun, moving, meaningful- the best movie I have seen in a long while. See more 07/08/2016 A great man worth watching. See more Read all reviews
Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You

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Movie Info

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
Producer
Suzanne Hillinger, Brent Miller
Distributor
Music Box Films
Production Co
American Masters, Loki Films
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 8, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Oct 26, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$70.1K
Runtime
1h 31m
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