The Way I See It

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2:31

The Way I See It

Released Sep 18, 2020

1h 40m

Documentary

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

71 Reviews

93%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Pete Souza captures historic and intimate moments as a photographer for President Barack Obama and President Ronald Reagan.

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Critics Consensus

The Way I See It takes an engaging look back at a political era from the unique perspective of the photographer who documented it from the inside.

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Angie Han

Mashable

The Way I See It feels like little more than a bit of PR fluff for a bygone leader - and perhaps, by extension, his former VP.

Oct 2, 2020

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Marjorie Baumgarten

Austin Chronicle

Photographers, like writers, do not usually make the best film subjects. Director Dawn Porter, who also directed John Lewis: Good Trouble, doesn't find a good way around this.

Rated: 2.5/5

Sep 25, 2020

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Dwight Brown

National Newspaper Publishers Association

Prepared to be moved and awed in ways you wouldn't expect. It's a trip down memory lane that should excite citizens about the possibilities for tomorrow.

Rated: 3.5/4

Sep 22, 2020

Full Review

Michael Carvelli

Loud and Clear Reviews

Ultimately, it could have been framed a little differently [...] But you do get a great look at a wonderful photographer who produced some of the most iconic presidential images in American history, which was a lot of fun.

Rated: 3/5

Jan 11, 2025

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Tom O'Brien

Next Best Picture

"The Way I See It" produces image after image that has been ingrained in our collective consciousness, with each of Souza's works capturing a moment in time, and each in its own way, telling a story.

Rated: 7/10

Jun 14, 2022

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Richard Crouse

Richard Crouse

The larger picture it paints is one of the importance of photography. If a picture is worth a thousand words this movie speaks volumes.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jan 29, 2021

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dave d

Incredibly moving, yet often distracted, 'The Way I see It' feels like an idealized version of events from the eyes of the White House photographer under Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan. When the movie veers into blaming everything that went wrong on Donald Trump it lost me. When the pictures tell the story, tears will flow, especially if you have young kids. Dawn Porter once again is way too heavy handed with her point of view and too soft with little to no journalistic integrity. Final Score: 6/10

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

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Audience Member

Very moving portrayal of a great American president. Highly enjoyable two hours examining how a president with charm, compassion and intellect can affect lives .

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/19/21

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Audience Member

Pete Souza provides an in-depth account about his personal observations and knowledge of the Presidency. The movie was a perfect example to show character and experience is required to be President. Anyone who gave this movie less than 4 stars should walk into the ocean forever.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/23/23

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Audience Member

The movie defined leadership. Pete Sousa defined "see something say something" and the power of visual artistry. Bravo! An important movie during these turbulent times!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/20/23

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Audience Member

cried. cried some more. amazing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/27/20

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Audience Member

Wonderful, Leadership matters

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/16/23

Full Review

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Dawn Porter

Director

Pete Souza

Self

Evan Hayes

Producer

Laura Dern

Producer

Jayme Lemons

Producer

Dawn Porter

Producer

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The Way I See It: Trailer 1

2:31

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Synopsis

Pete Souza captures historic and intimate moments as a photographer for President Barack Obama and President Ronald Reagan.

Director: Dawn Porter
Producer: Evan Hayes, Laura Dern, Jayme Lemons, Dawn Porter
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Platform One Media, Jaywalker Pictures, Focus Features, ACE Content, Trilogy Films, MSNBC Films
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 18, 2020, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 21, 2020
Box Office (Gross USA): $44.5K
Runtime: 1h 40m

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