Show all services

Rate And Review

Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
Super Reviewer
Step 2 of 2

How did you buy your ticket?

Let's get your review verified.
Fandango

AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew

Enter your Ticket Confirmation# located in your email.More Info

Cinemark Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Regal Coming Soon

We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.

Theater box office or somewhere else
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
You're almost there! Just confirm how you got your ticket.
Super Reviewer

Rate this movie

Oof, that was Rotten.

Meh, it passed the time.

It’s good – I’d recommend it.

Awesome!

So Fresh: Absolute Must See!

What did you think of the movie? (optional)
How did you buy your ticket?
- Fandango
- AMCTheatres.com or AMC AppNew
  
  Enter your Ticket Confirmation# located in your email.More Info
- Cinemark Coming Soon
  
  We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
- Regal Coming Soon
  
  We won’t be able to verify your ticket today, but it’s great to know for the future.
- Theater box office or somewhere else
By opting to have your ticket verified for this movie, you are allowing us to check the email address associated with your Rotten Tomatoes account against an email address associated with a Fandango ticket purchase for the same movie.
You haven’t finished your review yet, want to submit as-is?

You can always edit your review after.
Are you sure?

Verified reviews are considered more trustworthy by fellow moviegoers.
Want to submit changes to your review before closing?

Hesburgh Videos

View All Videos (1)

Hesburgh Photos

View All Photos (21)

Movie Info

President of the University of Notre Dame for 35 years, Theodore Hesburgh counsels presidents and becomes one of the most influential Americans of the 20th century.

Genre:

documentary
Original Language:

English
Director:

Patrick Creadon
Producer:

Christine O'Malley, Jerry Barca
Writer:

Nick Andert, Jerry Barca, William Neal
Release Date (Theaters):

Apr 26, 2019 limited
Release Date (Streaming):

Sep 10, 2019
Box Office (Gross USA):

$204.7K
Runtime:

1h 44m
Production Co:

O'Malley Creadon Productions

Cast & Crew

Leon Panetta
Self

Ted Koppel
Self

Newton Minow
Self

Patrick Creadon
Director

Nick Andert
Writer

Jerry Barca
Writer

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for Hesburgh

All Critics (17) | Top Critics (6) | Fresh (14) | Rotten (3)

[T]his film offers little insight into whatever battles - internal or external - Hesburgh must have fought. It's far too busy polishing that halo.

May 7, 2019 | Rating: C- | Full Review…

Tom Long
Detroit News
A compellingly attractive if one-sided portrait of a figure of exceptional gifts, astonishingly diverse accomplishments and extraordinary influence.

May 2, 2019 | Rating: B+ | Full Review…

Steven D. Greydanus
National Catholic Register
Serving as a profile in courage whose hero was widely loved, it doesn't necessarily convince those of us who don't know the man that we needed to see a doc about him.

May 2, 2019 | Full Review…

John DeFore
Hollywood Reporter
[A] thoroughly engaging documentary chronicle of the life and turbulent times of longtime Notre Dame president Father Theodore M. Hesburgh, whose tenure coincided with a particularly pivotal stretch of American history.

May 2, 2019 | Full Review…

Michael Rechtshaffen
Los Angeles Times
A portrait of a man who can be seen as not merely blameless, but genuinely heroic.

May 2, 2019 | Full Review…

Glenn Kenny
New York Times
This moving, illuminating slice of American life and social history serves as a stirring example that we should all do much better. And we can start right now.

May 1, 2019 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Ann Hornaday
Washington Post
Paints a wonderful portrait of a man many Hoosiers know but may not really know.

September 10, 2020 | Rating: 3.5/4.0 | Full Review…

Richard Propes
TheIndependentCritic.com
Nick Andert, Jerry Barca, and William Neal have fastened a pace as swift and handsome as its subject. This is an informative doc that's more concerned with being entertaining than explanatory. Homework, it is not.

June 11, 2019 | Rating: 6/10 | Full Review…

Asher Luberto
Film Threat
A glossy compilation of talking heads, archival footage and a narration based on Hesburgh's own journals, the film would feel right at home on a Sunday afternoon on the History Channel.

May 29, 2019 | Rating: 2/4 | Full Review…

Lisa Trifone
Third Coast Review
Undoubtedly verges on hagiography, but it presents a persuasive portrait of a man who served both his university and his country with vigor and unquestionable administrative skill.

May 5, 2019 | Rating: B | Full Review…

Frank Swietek
One Guy's Opinion
Hesburgh packs a lot of fascinating stories into its 106-minute running time.

May 3, 2019 | Rating: B | Full Review…

Carl Kozlowski
Pasadena Weekly
The documentary is gripping, moving, and informing about a man who made a difference whether you know it or not.

May 3, 2019 | Full Review…

Martha K. Baker
KDHX (St. Louis)