Silver Dollar Road

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Silver Dollar Road

PG

Released Oct 13, 2023

1h 40m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

82%

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45 Reviews

79%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

From Academy-Award Nominee Raoul Peck, Silver Dollar Road follows the story of the Reels family as told by the matriarch Mamie Reels Ellison and her niece Kim Renee Duhon, two fierce women defending their rights and fighting to protect their ancestor's land and their brothers and uncles Melvin and Licurtis, who were incarcerated for eight years for refusing to leave their homes -- becoming two of the longest serving inmates for civil contempt in the country. This documentary, based on the 2019 ProPublica article, highlights the ways the legal system is exploited to limit land ownership in the Black community and further contributes to the racial wealth gap.

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Critics Consensus

Silver Dollar Road's overwhelming compassion for its subjects helps this powerful story transcend its occasionally uneven telling.

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Nick Schager

The Daily Beast

When it comes to its central legal struggle, though, it leaves out so many crucial details that it cuts itself off at the knees.

Oct 19, 2023

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Nicolas Rapold

New York Times

No one here is defined by this struggle, and amid the looming threats to a cherished home, Peck’s accomplishment is to let the Reels family own their emotional space.

Oct 19, 2023

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Robert Abele

Los Angeles Times

Silver Dollar Road” is an awful story, but only because inside it is a beautiful one of what this peaceful enclave on Adams Creek has meant to generations of Reels.

Oct 16, 2023

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Sarah Boslaugh

TheArtsStl

Peck ties the story of this one extended family to a larger pattern of Black families in the South becoming dispossessed of their land through a variety of legal and extra-legal maneuvers.

Rated: 6/10

Jan 4, 2024

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Tina Kakadelis

Film Obsessive

Silver Dollar Road is an exposition of the abuses of power that are leveled against the Reels family. Its story of injustice at the hands of a system that is supposed to provide justice for all remains, unfortunately, timely.

Nov 13, 2023

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Louisa Moore

Screen Zealots

By documenting one family’s fight against oppression and injustice, the film becomes a story of resistance, resilience, and a celebration of heritage.

Nov 10, 2023

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Jennifer B

This documentary is a one sided work of fiction.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

04/06/24

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Drop D

This is a MUST SEE!! A beautiful, moving story about an African American families fight for justice to keep their waterfront property, and maintain their living as farmers and fisherman. The injustice this family faced and IS STILL facing is heart wrenching.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/27/23

Full Review

Niaja F

What injustice the Reels family has and continue to face. I was very saddened watching this documentary. This family needs a good lawyer who will protect their I ferret in their land. Their ancestors acquired the land to benefit the generations after them and the fact that this is happening in 2023 is deplorable. God help this family.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/26/23

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Raoul Peck

Director

Raoul Peck

Writer

Rémi Grellety

Producer

Blair Foster

Producer

Hébert Peck

Producer

Raoul Peck

Producer

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Synopsis

From Academy-Award Nominee Raoul Peck, Silver Dollar Road follows the story of the Reels family as told by the matriarch Mamie Reels Ellison and her niece Kim Renee Duhon, two fierce women defending their rights and fighting to protect their ancestor's land and their brothers and uncles Melvin and Licurtis, who were incarcerated for eight years for refusing to leave their homes -- becoming two of the longest serving inmates for civil contempt in the country. This documentary, based on the 2019 ProPublica article, highlights the ways the legal system is exploited to limit land ownership in the Black community and further contributes to the racial wealth gap.

Director: Raoul Peck
Producer: Rémi Grellety, Blair Foster, Hébert Peck, Raoul Peck
Screenwriter: Raoul Peck, Raoul Peck
Distributor: Amazon Studios
Production Co: Velvet Film
Rating: PG (Brief Smoking|Thematic Content|Language)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 13, 2023, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 20, 2023
Runtime: 1h 40m

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