The Boys in Red Hats

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2:22

The Boys in Red Hats

Released Jul 16, 2021

1h 27m

Documentary

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Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

9 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

January 18, 2019. Surrounded by cheering classmates on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, 17-year-old Nick Sandmann instantly and unwittingly became a global headline as he appeared to confront Nathan Phillips, a Native American elder, at that year's heated March for Life rally. Overnight, clips of the interaction went viral, Sandmann and his classmates hit with a tidal wave of worldwide outrage and the entire Cov Cath community suddenly at the center of uncomfortable conversation. A graduate of that elite institution, filmmaker Jonathan Schroder watched it all unfold with keen interest. Seeking to better understand the scene on the steps, the people involved in it and its larger ramifications for the community, the media and our democracy as a whole, The Boys in the Red Hats deftly explores the media's obsession with immediacy over accuracy, the danger in prioritizing intent over impact and what it's going to take if we ever hope to bridge the deep divides in our communities--and our country.

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Nick Schager

The Daily Beast

The Boys in Red Hats is honest about its biases and intentions while taking an admirably even-handed approach to its subject...

Jul 16, 2021

Full Review

Robert Daniels

RogerEbert.com

"The Boys in Red Hats" is a necessary watch that elicits frustration by exposing our insular ideology with a raw aplomb.

Rated: 3/4

Jul 16, 2021

Full Review

Nicolas Rapold

New York Times

Between a bro-friendly voice-over and "TMZ Live"-style bull sessions with his producer, Schroder's exploratory pose comes to feel exasperatingly clueless.

Jul 15, 2021

Full Review

Sr. Rose Pacatte

St. Anthony Messenger

You may not be comfortable when watching The Boys in Red Hats, but the film may convince you to question the news media and to “empathize with people who are not walking in your shoes or do not have what you have.”

May 26, 2022

Full Review

Frank Swietek

One Guy's Opinion

While the episode is intriguing, both for its intrinsic interest as a socio-political barometer and for what it says about news reporting and the power of social media, Schroder's film inevitably feels both incomplete and padded.

Rated: C+

Jul 29, 2021

Full Review

Christian Toto

HollywoodInToto.com

The film's 'both sides' approach doesn't fly when we already know the truth.

Rated: 2/4

Jul 16, 2021

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Audience Member

A most thought provoking, excellent documentary with a balance on both sides of the controversary that is hard to maintain. Kudos to Mr. Schroder for shedding light and his perspective on what happened at the event at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/22/23

Full Review

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Jonathan Schroder

Director

Nathan Phillips

Actor

Nicholas Sandmann

Actor

Jonathan Schroder

Writer

Justin Jones

Producer

Jonathan Schroder

Executive Producer

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The Boys in Red Hats: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

January 18, 2019. Surrounded by cheering classmates on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial, 17-year-old Nick Sandmann instantly and unwittingly became a global headline as he appeared to confront Nathan Phillips, a Native American elder, at that year's heated March for Life rally. Overnight, clips of the interaction went viral, Sandmann and his classmates hit with a tidal wave of worldwide outrage and the entire Cov Cath community suddenly at the center of uncomfortable conversation. A graduate of that elite institution, filmmaker Jonathan Schroder watched it all unfold with keen interest. Seeking to better understand the scene on the steps, the people involved in it and its larger ramifications for the community, the media and our democracy as a whole, The Boys in the Red Hats deftly explores the media's obsession with immediacy over accuracy, the danger in prioritizing intent over impact and what it's going to take if we ever hope to bridge the deep divides in our communities--and our country.

Director: Jonathan Schroder
Producer: Justin Jones
Screenwriter: Jonathan Schroder, Justin Jones
Distributor: Shark Dog Films
Production Co: First Fight, Shark Dog Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 16, 2021, Limited
Runtime: 1h 27m

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