Earthwork Reviews
San Diego Union-Tribune
While we're grateful for Ordal's introduction to this atypical artist, the film's focus on the sentimental side of the story is at the expense of showing us enough of his terrestrial achievements.
Full Review
| Original Score: 2.5/4
St. Paul Pioneer Press
Hawkes is finally getting the great roles he has long deserved.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3/4
Top CriticThe story has dramatic reversals, humor, suspense and plenty of colorful, eccentric characters.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3/4
MovieMaker Magazine
It's a rare film that makes viewers love a fellow who takes needless chances.
Full Review
| Original Score: 4/5
Scene-Stealers.com
Ultimately, "Earthwork" poses an interesting question. Does the true value of art lie in its creation or the pleasure that others get while viewing it?
Full Review
| Original Score: 2.5/4
Ebert Presents At The Movies
This is a movie about work and about the satisfaction that a person can find in accomplishing something.
Shared Darkness
Writer-director Chris Ordal does something a lot of young filmmakers either can't do, or consciously try to avoid -- tell a simple story, simply, and without overindulging in stylistic gimmicks or emotional manipulation.
Full Review
| Original Score: B
"Earthwork" takes an unexpected swerve but one that adds layers of meaning and emotion to a film that is as beautiful and wrenching as it is unassuming.
Full Review
| Original Score: 4/5
Entertainment Spectrum
The movie's numerous strengths include the cinematography by Bruce Francis Cole, the editing of extraneous material to 93 seamlessly flowing minutes by Brad Roszell and an upbeat, soothing guitar-heavy instrumental score by musician David Goodrich.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3/4
Kansas City Star
Hawkes' performance reflects the gentle unaffectedness of Ordal's writing and directing. Earthwork hasn't any big bombastic moments. Instead it worms its way into your good graces slowly and thoughtfully until you're hooked.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3.5/4
Slant Magazine
Earthwork turns a potentially fascinating, infuriating story of failure into a dull, naïve civics lesson.
Full Review
| Original Score: 1.5/4
Boxoffice Magazine
Ordal certainly picked the right moment of Herd's career to memorialize, because while the tale seems to follow a predictable path, it eventually veers off into a different direction.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3/5
NYC Movie Guru
An unchallenging, simplistic drama that's grounded by John Hawkes' genuinely tender and charismatic performance.
Full Review
| Original Score: 6.95921/10
Spirituality and Practice
Drama about the many challenges faced by an earthwork artist from Kansas as he takes on a project in New York City.
Full Review
| Original Score: 3/5
Character actor John Hawkes, his rural demeanor tailor-made for hick pics, breaks through typecasting stereotypes in his nuanced portrayal of crop artist Stan Herd in Chris Ordal's ambitious Earthwork.
John Hawkes brings a laconic soulfulness to this ultra-low-key, only mildly involving tale of artistic pursuit.
Film Journal International
Challenging docudrama about a quixotic crop artist.
Hollywood & Fine
Slight and, I'm afraid, slightly forgettable..The film lives and breathes because of Hawkes, a lank actor with a craggy face, sad eyes and a winning, open smile.
Directed, written and produced by Chris Ordal, "Earthwork" is best left to TV.
Full Review
| Original Score: 2/4
Earthwork's narrative follows too-familiar templates, and its characters lack the careful detail of Herd's own art.
Full Review
| Original Score: 5/10
