The Way I See It

Released Sep 18, 2020

1h 40m

Documentary

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84%

70 Reviews

Tomatometer

93%

100+ Ratings

Audience Score

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Louisa Moore

Screen Zealots

No matter your political affiliation, The Way I See It gives an astounding look at the most intimate moments of our nation's history, allowing regular citizens to take a peek behind the curtain at our leaders.

Rated: 3.5 / 5

Jan 20, 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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

ranny l

The sensational director, Dawn Porter, did it again with another entertaining and powerful documentary, The Way I See It! Porter is a genius at creating films based on inspiring images of her subjects and letting the pictures tell the story. The timing of this film is perfect because of upcoming Presidential elections and how it shows historic moments in the lives of past respectable Presidents through photos from the eyes of official White House photographer Pete Souza. The Way I See It is a documentary based on Souza's New York Times #1 bestsellers, Obama: An Intimate Portrait and Shade: A Tale of Two Presidents. It gives an inside look of two powerful Presidents in U.S. history, Barack Obama and Ronald Reagan, through photographs taken by Pete Souza. It tells the story through clips from interviews and unique photos and shows the responsibilities of being the person holding the most powerful position on Earth. Pete Souza was able to get an "up close and personal" look at monumental and intimate moments of former President Barack Obama and President Ronald Reagan during their terms. The setting of the film is at the White House.The scenes are very realistic because they are based on factual events. The documentary includes heartwarming clips and moments such as when these Presidents gave their speeches while running for office, their lives outside of being Presidents and just having fun. The music in this film really helps drive the story. I love that The Way I See It did not feel like just a documentary meant to show how America is in the state it is in now. The message of the film is that we have to look at our past to understand how we get to a certain place in life. While the film doesn't really talk about President Trump, it shows that our country was in a better place before he became President. I rate The Way I See It 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18. Adults that like documentaries and history will also love this film. By Tiana S., KIDS FIRST!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

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

Full Review

Audience Member

cried. cried some more. amazing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/27/20

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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: Justin Barocas
Distributor: Focus Features
Production Co: Trilogy Films, MSNBC Films, ACE Content, Focus Features, Jaywalker Pictures, Platform One Media
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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