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Movies / On DVD / Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry
Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry

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Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry (2004)

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Reviews Counted:81

Fresh:73

Rotten:8

Average Rating:7.3/10

Consensus: Interesting and revealing footage of both Kerry and the Vietnam era in general.

Rated: Not Rated

Genre: Musical & Performing Arts

Theatrical Release:Oct 1, 2004 Limited

Box Office: $480,752

Synopsis: GOING UPRIVER: THE LONG WAR OF JOHN KERRY is an extraordinary inside look at a politician, where he has come from, and how these roots have driven him forward in his public life. As a Vietnam war... GOING UPRIVER: THE LONG WAR OF JOHN KERRY is an extraordinary inside look at a politician, where he has come from, and how these roots have driven him forward in his public life. As a Vietnam war hero and subsequent activist, his story is a worthy subject for an important film about a defining era in America's past, and how it influenced a man and his dedication to the democratic process. This is, therefore, also the story of an American generation that came of age in the war-torn sixties, and has now come to prominence at the beginning of this century -- when issues of war, and their historical resonance for a new generation of leaders, hold center stage. Acclaimed director, George Butler, has known Senator Kerry since 1964 and in 1969 began photographing him, in an effort to document his life and career. Using his unique collection of images, the film weaves together Butler's photography with archival material, interviews with Kerry's closest associates, and contemporary footage of him at home and abroad. As with his films PUMPING IRON and THE ENDURANCE, the filmmaker proves himself as a master at portraying American men affected by and affecting history. -- © ThinkFilm [More]

Starring: John Kerry

Starring: John Kerry

Director: George Butler

Director: George Butler
Studio: ThinkFilm

[See More Credits]

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Release:

Oct 19, 2004

No Details Exist
 
 

Reviews for Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry

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1 - 20 (sorted by comments)
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N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Boston Phoenix | comment Comment
10/06/04
Boston Phoenix
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch | comment Comment
10/06/04
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Arizona Republic | comment Comment
10/19/04
Arizona Republic
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Houston Chronicle | comment Comment
07/21/05
Houston Chronicle
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out | comment Comment
06/24/06
Time Out

George Butler's new documentary, unabashed in its admiration for John Kerry, is clearly meant to intervene in the current presidential campaign.

Full Review Source: New York Times | comment Comment
09/30/04
A.O. Scott
A.O. Scott
New York Times
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

This should be revelatory to most people -- but most people will probably never see Mr. Butler's film, and certainly none of those who consider George W. Bush as next to God.

Full Review Source: New York Observer | comment Comment
10/14/04
Andrew Sarris
Andrew Sarris
New York Observer
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

A lucid, emotionally affecting portrait not just of one man but of his times.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
10/01/04
Ann Hornaday
Ann Hornaday
Washington Post

There's an innocence, a purity in intention ... that one rarely sees in a documentary.

Full Review Source: Las Vegas Mercury | comment Comment
10/27/04
Anthony Del Valle
Anthony Del Valle
Las Vegas Mercury

Like him or not, John Kerry has led an interesting life, much of which is ably documented in George Butler's film

Full Review Source: Denton Record Chronicle (TX) | comment Comment
10/02/04
Boo Allen
Boo Allen
Denton Record Chronicle (TX)

Right now, Going Upriver: The Long War of John Kerry feels like a campaign film, but in six weeks, it'll feel like what it really is: a dramatic, involving story.

Full Review Source: St. Paul Pioneer Press | comment Comment
09/30/04
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul)
St. Paul Pioneer Press

Kerry's testimony before the Foreign Relations Committee is powerful and heartbreaking.

Full Review Source: PopMatters | comment Comment
10/01/04
Cynthia Fuchs
Cynthia Fuchs
PopMatters

[I]t will leave you with questions you’ll be asking long after the November election.

Full Review Source: Worcester Telegram & Gazette | comment Comment
10/08/04
Daniel M. Kimmel
Daniel M. Kimmel
Worcester Telegram & Gazette

Butler's mission might have been better served by giving Kerry's critics some say.

Full Review Source: Philadelphia Inquirer | comment Comment
10/01/04
Daniel Rubin
Daniel Rubin
Philadelphia Inquirer

The Vietnam scar is bleeding again.

Full Review Source: San Diego Union-Tribune | comment Comment
10/01/04
David Elliott
David Elliott
San Diego Union-Tribune

Put into production long before Kerry's presidential candidacy, the absorbing account reflects Butler's long experience with nonfiction film.

Full Review Source: Christian Science Monitor | comment Comment
09/30/04
David Sterritt
David Sterritt
Christian Science Monitor
N/R

Click to read the article

Full Review Source: Time Out New York | comment Comment
08/16/07
Derek Adams
Derek Adams
Time Out New York

George Butler's documentary may not sway any political opinions one way or the other, but it does provide ample evidence that Kerry did more than show up for battle.

Full Review Source: Washington Post | comment Comment
09/30/04
Desson Thomson
Desson Thomson
Washington Post
Top Critic Icon Top Critic

... beneath the hagiography is a deeply affecting portrait of a young man of privilege who didn't have to serve in Vietnam, yet in whom the idea of national service had been ingrained.

Full Review Source: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel | comment Comment
09/30/04
Duane Dudek
Duane Dudek
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Going Upriver really concerns all soldiers who returned from Vietnam only to discover that their nation had failed them.

Full Review Source: Slant Magazine | comment Comment
09/23/04
Ed Gonzalez
Ed Gonzalez
Slant Magazine
 
 
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