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      The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean's American Pie

      PG Released Jul 8, 2022 1 hr. 34 min. Documentary Music List
      70% 10 Reviews Tomatometer 70% Fewer than 50 Ratings Audience Score The story of America -- our past and our future. More than just a song or a man, this film is about a cultural moment in America's history that has followed us from the 1970s. Featuring a new generation of artists, inspired by the same values and ideas that inspired Don McLean in writing American Pie -- one of the great musical touchstones of pop music and culture. Read More Read Less Watch on Fandango at Home Premiered Aug 22 Buy Now

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      The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean's American Pie

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      Audience Reviews

      View All (20) audience reviews
      Joe D This is an amazing biography of a song. It is hard to believe that it has been 50 years since its release. The film was extremely well directed and edited, so it moved quickly and didn't leave much out. I would have liked to have had more of The Big Bopper's story told, but he was relegated to the sidelines. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 08/20/23 Full Review Audience Member Best takeaway— Teenage Bronkin’ Buck line came about because of childhood chronic bronchidas Rated 4 out of 5 stars 04/23/23 Full Review Audience Member I loved it. If you're looking for an explanation of the lyrics, skip to 1:12 minutes. But if you want the whole thing, sit down for the whole ride and you won't be disappointed. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Chester This documentary- as epic as the song itself- has everything you ever wanted to know about "American Pie", fifty years later. Near the end, Don McLean clears up a few of the misconceptions about the meaning of the lyrics. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/06/22 Full Review Layla M Though the movie was great, and I learned more about the actual day the music died, the trailer gives the impression that the movie will be about all the lyrics of the song, whereas the only time the song is actually broken down is about 10 minutes at the end of the movie. Felt a bit misleading since the trailer makes you think you'll learn the meaning behind helter skelter in the summer swelter and singing dirges in the dark, and in reality it's just about remakes of the song and the day the music died (which is fine) but it's not what the trailer hyped it up to be. The movie was well made and I would recommend it, but it did not live up to my expectations by any means. Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 08/19/22 Full Review Audience Member This film was an excellent tale of the story behind the iconic song 'American Pie'. The film does a great job at showcasing the heart behind the song, and it's ability to connect generations of people worldwide. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Read all reviews Post a rating

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      The Day the Music Died: The Story of Don McLean's American Pie

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      Critics Reviews

      View All (10) Critics Reviews
      Noel Murray Los Angeles Times Somehow, the more McLean explains the song, the more wondrous it seems. Jul 22, 2022 Full Review Richard Roeper Chicago Sun-Times Don McLean shares his ‘American Pie’ recipe in this thorough documentary. Rated: 3/4 Jul 20, 2022 Full Review Glenn Kenny New York Times McLean, who has frequently been portrayed as a prickly figure, and worse, puts on his most ingratiating mien here. And why not. Few musicians are given such generous opportunities to be docent to their legacies. Jul 19, 2022 Full Review Robin Holabird KUNR (Reno, NV) While filmmakers emphasize a storytelling universality for the song, it still seems locked in a specific era. Aug 26, 2022 Full Review Leigh Paatsch Herald Sun (Australia) Although the song is repeated countless times across the doco, the viewer never tires of it. Rated: 3/5 Aug 12, 2022 Full Review Stephen Silver Splice Today Takes a maximalist approach to its exploration of McLean’s 1971 hit Rated: 4/5 Aug 5, 2022 Full Review Read all reviews

      Movie Info

      Synopsis The story of America -- our past and our future. More than just a song or a man, this film is about a cultural moment in America's history that has followed us from the 1970s. Featuring a new generation of artists, inspired by the same values and ideas that inspired Don McLean in writing American Pie -- one of the great musical touchstones of pop music and culture.
      Director
      Mark Moormann
      Executive Producer
      Bruce Gillmer
      Distributor
      Paramount+
      Production Co
      MTV Studios, Meteor 17
      Rating
      PG
      Genre
      Documentary, Music
      Original Language
      English
      Release Date (Theaters)
      Jul 8, 2022, Limited
      Release Date (Streaming)
      Jul 19, 2022
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