Been Rich All My Life (2006)
TOMATOMETER
AUDIENCE SCORE
Critic Consensus: The remarkable resilience, energy, strength, and charisma of these women captivate, and their experiences are a historical treasure.
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Critic Reviews for Been Rich All My Life
All Critics (29) | Top Critics (15) | Fresh (23) | Rotten (6) | DVD (1)
MacDonald seems less interested in the Silver Belles' past than their inspirational present. Eventually, the inevitable broken hips and dizzy spells take their toll, but those who remain seem determined to shuffle-step their way into the sunset.

[MacDonald's] subjects -- former black chorus girls from Harlem's golden age, when the Cotton Club and the Apollo Theater ruled New York nightlife -- are utterly captivating.

It's a modest but highly enjoyable tribute.
Reminds us that every life contains many acts worth hearing about, not just a select few.

If you only watched the first half of Been Rich All My Life, you might walk away thinking it's a so-so documentary about another fascinating, underreported piece of Harlem history. And you'd be at least half right in that assessment.
The film could be more adept and probing, but the ladies -- Cleo Hayes, Marion Coles, Elaine Ellis, Fay Ray, and Geri Kennedy -- are delightful.
Audience Reviews for Been Rich All My Life
I wasn't too interested in the old footage and history. Watching the Silver Belles (80+ year old women) dance was pretty cool. Would have like to seen their entire performance.
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