Click to read the article
The Stone Reader (2003)
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work ![]()
Reviews Counted:64
Fresh:52
Rotten:12
Average Rating:7.1/10
Consensus: This fascinating documentary will be of most interest to those who read and write for a living.
Theatrical Release:Feb 12, 2003 Limited
Synopsis: In this labor-of-love documentary, director-writer-producer Mark Moskowitz tackles a project he had been wanting to pursue since he was 18 years old. In 1972 he read a New York Times book review of... In this labor-of-love documentary, director-writer-producer Mark Moskowitz tackles a project he had been wanting to pursue since he was 18 years old. In 1972 he read a New York Times book review of THE STONES OF SUMMER by Dow Mossman, a title which would later became an object of obsession for Moskowitz. Though he shelved the book for 25 years, Moskowitz finally did read it and was amazed at its ingenuity. He was shocked that its onetime author never penned another book. Determined to solve this mystery, Moskowitz made THE STONE READER, documenting his research project in finding the forgotten author and getting to the bottom of the publishing mystery of how so many great works of literature, and great authors, just disappear. Moskowitz's infectious excitement about literature--reading it, collecting it, understanding it, enjoying it--comes through loud and clear in this inspiring film. He interviews some fascinating characters on his search for Mossman, including Frank Conroy, an author and the head of the Iowa University Writer's Workshop; Robert Gottlieb, the editor of Joseph Heller's CATCH 22 and former Editor-in-Chief at Simon & Schuster; and Leslie Fiedler, a literary critic and author of LOVE AND DEATH IN THE AMERICAN NOVEL. [More]
Director: Mark Moskowitz
Director: Mark Moskowitz
Screenwriter: Mark Moskowitz
Producer: Mark Moskowitz, Robert Goodman
Studio: Jet Films
Get This Movie
Reviews for The Stone Reader
An unalloyed treasure for any viewer who has ever felt transformed by reading a good novel.
Such stuff will most appeal to an endangered species -- the devotee of literary fiction -- but anyone who gives a damn about the state of popular culture and the future of language will want to take heed.
The most improbably thrilling movie you'll see in 2003 -- an utterly absorbing, invigorating celebration of creativity and its symbiotic and replenishing relationship with the human spirit.
As personal memoir, a story of men and the books that bind them, it's fairly complex but verges on maudlin.
Both an involving real-life mystery and a passionate romance between a novelist and his ideal reader.
Stone Reader is an affirmation for anybody who loves to read and if you don't, this may inspire you - or at least help you understand those of us who do.
Until Stone Reader, no film ever captured the thrill and romance of reading.
It should delight anyone who loves to curl up with a book, or loves to tell someone about a book worth curling up with.
The mainstream nature of Moskowitz's taste in books undermines his proselytizing for Mossman, whose prose we barely meet in the movie. "I like subplots and twists in stories," he counsels us at one point.
Loved the discovery, but hated the man’s forcing of himself on the project.
You're not likely to see a more impassioned and heartfelt tribute to the joy of reading.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 15% 15% | The Ugly Truth |
| 98% 98% | Up |
| 36% 36% | G.I. Joe: The Rise of … |
| 52% 52% | The Taking of Pelham 1… |
| 45% 45% | Ice Age: Dawn of the D… |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 36% 36% | Angels & Demons |
| 68% 68% | Funny People |
| 25% 25% | Four Christmases |
| 45% 45% | Shorts |
RT On Current TV
DIRECTV 358 | Comcast 107 | DISH Network 196 | More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
CloseSponsored Links
Around The Network
- The Stone Reader at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Stone Reader at AskMen
Fresh Links
Featured

The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox

Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.

Richard Corliss previews the season's best offerings and hottest tickets.

The AV Club's Mike D'Angelo airs his beefs with Alfonso Cuaron's Children of Men.
Promos

Get the latest Tomatometer updates on upcoming movies!



Top Critic



