Stories We Tell

PG-13

Released May 10, 2013

1 hr. 48 min.

Documentary

List

94%

145 Reviews

Tomatometer

79%

10,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Through a series of revealing interviews, filmmaker Sarah Polley investigates the truth about her family history.

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Critics Consensus

In Stories We Tell, Sarah Polley plays with the documentary format to explore the nature of memory and storytelling, crafting a thoughtful, compelling narrative that unfolds like a mystery.

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Thomas M

The best documentary movie ever made!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

11/26/22

Full Review

Audience Member

I didn't find this interesting for a long time - narrated documentary about a marginally interesting character (outgoing woman, insecure, hopping from relationship to relationship, died of cancer) -- maybe if you're into mediocre soap operas, that would be good for you ... the purpose of the film only comes to light in the last 20 minutes, then it's more interesting. The point it makes has been made many times but it carries a different angle when it's a real story with real people.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

Lequisha S

Quite a ride. From early 2020.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/03/22

Full Review

dave s

Sarah Polley digs deep into the family closet to uncover a long-buried secret withheld from her in the engrossing documentary Stories We Tell. Interviewing family and friends, it quickly becomes apparent that truth can be a nebulous concept as individuals present the facts as they perceive them. When the truth is finally revealed, it's an emotional gut punch that makes one question the nature of love and validates the importance of family. Interspersed with the interviews are 8mm clips of a seemingly healthy family dynamic. The fact that Polley apparently hired actors to play the roles of family members in some of these flashbacks isn't as detrimental as one would think – it is virtually impossible to distinguish between the real footage and the newly shot scenes. Stories We Tell is fascinating throughout and forces one to examine their own family history.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Initially compelling but ultimately disappointing. Not as clever as it thinks it is. I enjoyed the mystery but got bored by the second half once the mystery was revealed. The movie purportedly examines memory but it failed to do that. And you're mislead to believe the home footage is real but it's fake.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/23

Full Review

wendy c

Absolutely fantastic. If you love good stories as much as I then you definitely don't want to miss this one. I'm so thankful that the family shared their lives with us.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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Sarah Polley

Director

Sarah Polley

Actor

Michael Polley

Actor

Harry Gulkin

Actor

Sarah Polley

Writer

Silva Basmajian

Executive Producer

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Kerensa Cadenas

Bitch Media

Sorting through those secrets through Polley's candid interviews with her father, family members, and close family friends is fascinating to watch.

Jan 15, 2021

Full Review

Anthony Quinn

Independent (UK)

Deeply affectionate and sometimes very moving.

Rated: 4/5

Dec 31, 2013

Full Review

Dana Stevens

Slate

If a personal memoir film by a beautiful, successful young woman from a nice Toronto family sounds to you like it can only be an excuse for self-absorbed navel-gazing, well, you must not have seen a Sarah Polley movie yet.

Dec 31, 2013

Full Review

James Croot

Stuff.co.nz

Surprisingly confessional and deeply compelling... The result is a story of great sadness, great joy and great entertainment.

Rated: 4/5

Apr 9, 2021

Full Review

Joanne Laurier

World Socialist Web Site

Unfortunately, Stories We Tell lacks the historical sense, in keeping with most contemporary movies, that could have made it far more compelling.

Feb 27, 2021

Full Review

B. Ruby Rich

Film Quarterly

The pay-off that Polley leads us to is real enough to hang a movie on.

Feb 28, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

Through a series of revealing interviews, filmmaker Sarah Polley investigates the truth about her family history.

Director: Sarah Polley
Executive Producer: Silva Basmajian, Anita Lee
Screenwriter: Sarah Polley
Distributor: Roadside Attractions
Production Co: National Film Board of Canada
Rating: PG-13 (Sexuality|Brief Strong Language|Smoking|Thematic Elements)
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): May 10, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 5, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.6M

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