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Paper Clips

Play trailer Poster for Paper Clips G Released May 2, 2004 1h 22m Documentary War Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
71% Tomatometer 52 Reviews 74% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
Searching for an effective way to teach their students about the scale of the Holocaust, school officials in Tennessee devise a unique class project involving paper clips. The middle school students in a rural, heavily Christian community begin collecting the paper clips to represent the Jews who perished in concentration camps in World War II. After millions of the paper clips are collected, the last step is to place them inside a German rail car, a poignant echo of the Final Solution.
Paper Clips

What to Know

Critics Consensus

A touching, though somewhat flat, documentary that follows a homogenous class of white Protestant eighth graders as they learn the importance of tolerance by erecting a monument to the 6 million victims of the Holocaust.

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Critics Reviews

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Mary Brennan Seattle Times It's a remarkable story, and well worth seeing, particularly for its handful of genuinely affecting moments. Rated: 2.5/4 Mar 25, 2005 Full Review Jonathan Curiel San Francisco Chronicle What makes Paper Clips so powerful and moving is the way everyone in the film seems affected by the Whitwell project. The students change. The teachers change. The townspeople change. Rated: 3.5/4 Mar 4, 2005 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times Not a sophisticated or very challenging film, nor should it be. It is straightforward, heartfelt and genuine. Rated: 3/4 Feb 25, 2005 Full Review Sandie Angulo Chen Common Sense Media Docu is the best introduction to the Holocaust for tweens. Rated: 4/5 Dec 31, 2010 Full Review Matthew Turner ViewLondon Interesting and frequently moving documentary but it misses several opportunities to widen the scope and make some important points. Rated: 2/5 Oct 14, 2006 Full Review Rachel Gordon Filmcritic.com the message attached is genuine and worth listening to Rated: 4/5 Mar 23, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member This documentary shows what is missing within our educational system throughout the United States of America. For educators, students and parents to have the insight to create and be part of a project that teaches the viewers of histories darkest and most horrific years is admirable. The America educational system has forgotten that creating and distributing text books with omissions that fail to address the Holocaust and the inhumanity of man is a black mark itself on today's educational system. I know there is still hope when viewing such a documentary which brings awareness to not only eight graders but to their community and all those who refuse stand by and allow history to be silenced . Manny Vider,, American Jewish War Veterans at www: ajwv.org Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member A great documentary about tolerance. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/19/23 Full Review Audience Member There are some very touching moments in this documentary about a middle school in a small Tennessee town which decides to do a special project related to learning about the Holocaust. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member A story about a small town in America changed the world with paperclips Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 02/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Extraordinarily moving... not only for what it says about history and tolerance, but also for what it says about students and education. It makes me want to be a better teacher. Grade: A Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 01/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Moving film, in that these kids were exposed to so much history, and became part of it, while learning... Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/17/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Paper Clips

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Cast & Crew

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Joe Fab

Director

Elliot Berlin

Director

Tom Bosley

Actor

Joe Fab

Writer

Bob Weinstein

Executive Producer

Harvey Weinstein

Executive Producer

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Paper Clips

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Movie Info

Synopsis Searching for an effective way to teach their students about the scale of the Holocaust, school officials in Tennessee devise a unique class project involving paper clips. The middle school students in a rural, heavily Christian community begin collecting the paper clips to represent the Jews who perished in concentration camps in World War II. After millions of the paper clips are collected, the last step is to place them inside a German rail car, a poignant echo of the Final Solution.
Director
Joe Fab, Elliot Berlin
Producer
Joe Fab, Robert M. Johnson, Ari Daniel Pinchot
Screenwriter
Joe Fab
Distributor
Miramax Films
Production Co
Ergo Entertainment, Johnson Group Production
Rating
G
Genre
Documentary, War
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
May 2, 2004, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
May 18, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA)
$1.1M
Runtime
1h 22m