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      Tell Them Who You Are

      R Released May 13, 2005 1 hr. 33 min. Documentary List
      88% 65 Reviews Tomatometer 66% 1,000+ Ratings Audience Score Haskell Wexler has proven to be a prolific and distinguished cinematographer, having shot more than 60 films in his storied career and winning Oscars for his work on "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Bound for Glory." He's been an inspiration to many aspiring filmmakers, including his son, Mark Wexler, a documentarian whose films often focus on himself. Here, Mark concentrates on his acclaimed but enigmatic father, hoping to connect with him while establishing an identity of his own. Read More Read Less
      Tell Them Who You Are

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      Critics Consensus

      The dysfunctional interaction between director and subject is fascinating, poignant, and revealing of both men and of father-son relationships in general.

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      Audience Reviews

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      walter m For the record, I believe that family members should never be involved in recording the life stories of loved ones due to the combination of distance and past closeness which can lead to a skewed perspective and usually involves at least one person with an axe to grind or deep-seated issues. Case in point with the latter is the documentary "Tell Them Who You Are" wherein Mark Wexler attempts to document the career of his father, Haskell, the famed cinematographer. That's the case until Haskell hijacks the proceedings to make it more about him as a person, leaving whatever footage in which would normally be cut and vice versa, as Mark forgets that the first rule of the documentarian is to stay behind the camera as much as humanly possible. Admittedly, there is some great stuff here about "Medium Cool," with a neat anecdote about "Coming Home." And some of Haskell's lesser known movies like "Latino" and "Introduction to the Enemy" definitely sound intriguing. But getting back to those issues, the documentary seeks to portray Haskell as irascible and whose left wing politics which did not stop him from working with Elia Kazan stopped him from accomplishing much more in a career full of accomplishments.(At the age of 87, apparently he is still working.) Personally, any discussion of paternal issues by the participants only serve to make me feel well-adjusted which is quite the accomplishment. Look, I am not saying we should venerate all artists or gloss over their shortcomings. It's just that I don't care. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Fascinating (and unconventional for the subject matter) but hardly the best-made doc. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/19/23 Full Review Audience Member tell them who you are actually premieres on the documentary channel on july 24th. http://www.facebook.com/search.php?q=the%20dark%20corner%20&init=quick&tas=0.49594548693858087 attend if you're interested. :) Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/13/23 Full Review Audience Member Captivating, emotional, and even-handed profile of one of the great film artists of the last 50 years. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/24/23 Full Review Audience Member One man's investigation into his (famous) father. Haskell Wexler is opinionated and uncompromising, mostly coming off as wanting to direct son Mark's documentary. He's very concerned with image and posterity and exhibits a strong sense of the paranoid. On the other hand, the movie doesn't really look that good, and most of his ideas about how the son should shoot are better than what happens. Mark spends too much time on himself and both desperately wants his father's approval and argues with him constantly. Even a late emotional scene can't undo the overall blandness of the entire film. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 02/20/23 Full Review Audience Member (Watched Thu 26 Apr 2007) Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      Tell Them Who You Are

      A scene from the film TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE directed by Mark Wexler. A scene from the film TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE directed by Mark Wexler. A scene from the film TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE directed by Mark Wexler. A scene from the film TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE directed by Mark Wexler. A scene from the film TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE directed by Mark Wexler. A scene from the film TELL THEM WHO YOU ARE directed by Mark Wexler. View more photos

      Critics Reviews

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      Christy Lemire Associated Press It works as a portrait of a father-son relationship that's awkward, volatile, uneven and always painfully real. Mar 6, 2007 Full Review David Parkinson Empire Magazine A desperately sad look at two men whose determination to rebel against their heritage and succeed in their artform has rendered them unable to communicate. Compelling stuff, though. Rated: 3/5 Jun 2, 2006 Full Review Matthew Leyland BBC.com With dad calling junior's filmmaking skills into question at every turn, this is a fascinating blend of fact and friction. Rated: 4/5 May 30, 2006 Full Review Robert Davis Paste Magazine Tell Them Who You Are radiates dignity, the unusual warmth given off by the frustration of trying to know someone. Rated: 4/5 Jun 5, 2008 Full Review Jason Gorber Film Scouts It's a remarkable documentary, thoroughly enjoyable and one of the most powerful films I've seen in quite some time. Rated: A Jun 21, 2007 Full Review Robert W. Butler Kansas City Star In the end this is a great movie about a filmmaker. It's also a great movie about fathers and sons. Rated: 3.5/4 Jul 28, 2006 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis Haskell Wexler has proven to be a prolific and distinguished cinematographer, having shot more than 60 films in his storied career and winning Oscars for his work on "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?" and "Bound for Glory." He's been an inspiration to many aspiring filmmakers, including his son, Mark Wexler, a documentarian whose films often focus on himself. Here, Mark concentrates on his acclaimed but enigmatic father, hoping to connect with him while establishing an identity of his own.
      Director
      Mark Wexler
      Screenwriter
      Mark Wexler, Robert DeMaio
      Distributor
      ThinkFilm
      Production Co
      Wexler's World
      Rating
      R (Language|Some Sexual Images)
      Genre
      Documentary
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      May 13, 2005, Original
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Nov 10, 2019
      Box Office (Gross USA)
      $38.6K