Tell Them Who You Are (2004)
Average Rating: 7.6/10
Reviews Counted: 64
Fresh: 56 | Rotten: 8
The dysfunctional interaction between director and subject is fascinating, poignant, and revealing of both men and of father-son relationships in general.
Average Rating: 7.7/10
Critic Reviews: 25
Fresh: 22 | Rotten: 3
The dysfunctional interaction between director and subject is fascinating, poignant, and revealing of both men and of father-son relationships in general.
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Average Rating: 3.4/5
User Ratings: 893
My Rating
Movie Info
Mark Wexler is a successful photojournalist who has also distinguished himself as a documentary filmmaker, but in many ways he has spent much of his life in the shadow of his more famous father, Haskell Wexler. One of Hollywood's greatest cinematographers, Haskell is also known as a director (he made the acclaimed feature Medium Cool as well as a handful of documentaries) and as a tireless political activist. But while Haskell is widely respected as a major talent, he's also known for being
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All Critics (71) | Top Critics (27) | Fresh (57) | Rotten (8) | DVD (4)
It works as a portrait of a father-son relationship that's awkward, volatile, uneven and always painfully real.
Top CriticWhat we really get from son Mark's unusual take is a sterling movie about fathers (especially famous fathers) and offspring.
[A] tremendously moving documentary.
A real gem of a film.
A vivid picture of a relationship that, like most, isn't quite picture-perfect.
A lively, often hilarious yet profoundly moving experience.
Tell Them Who You Are radiates dignity, the unusual warmth given off by the frustration of trying to know someone.
It's a remarkable documentary, thoroughly enjoyable and one of the most powerful films I've seen in quite some time.
In the end this is a great movie about a filmmaker. It's also a great movie about fathers and sons.
A desperately sad look at two men whose determination to rebel against their heritage and succeed in their artform has rendered them unable to communicate. Compelling stuff, though.
With dad calling junior's filmmaking skills into question at every turn, this is a fascinating blend of fact and friction.
a rare film of startling sincerity
Mark Wexler uses cinema verite as a means to an end and allows the film to be as much about the filmmaker as it is about the subject. In the end, nothing could be truer.
A unique and luminous achievement.
Equal parts fan mail and home video from Hell, Tell Them Who You Are is a fascinating piece of father-son psychotherapy à la Hollywood.
The subject is a fascinating one, and the film is worth watching just to see how impressive Wexler's career has been.
More than a Hollywood profile, it becomes a filmmaker's effort to figure out how he relates, personally and professionally, to his famous father.
An opportunity missed
Audience Reviews for Tell Them Who You Are
Super Reviewer
The irony is that Mark's central message seems to be that he finds it difficult to live in the shadow of his famous father. So he responds by making a documentary (just like his dad might do) and interviewing a bunch of famous people (George Lucas, Dennis Hopper, etc.) in the process... people he surely wouldn't have had access to if not for his father.
The documentary itself is pretty uninspired, but I enjoyed the inclusion of footage from the senior Wexler's work, especially his lesser seen films.
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October 5, 2005:
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But getting back to those issues, the documentary seeks to portray Haskell as irascible and whose left wing politics which did not stop him from working with Elia Kazan stopped him from accomplishing much more in a career full of accomplishments.(At the age of 87, apparently he is still working.) Personally, any discussion of paternal issues by the participants only serve to make me feel well-adjusted which is quite the accomplishment. Look, I am not saying we should venerate all artists or gloss over their shortcomings. It's just that I don't care.