Rich Hill is a 2014 American documentary film co-produced and directed by Andrew Droz Palermo and Tracy Droz Tragos about Rich Hill, Missouri.[2] The film premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival,[3] where it won the U.S. Grand Jury Prize for a documentary.[4][5]
| Rich Hill | |
|---|---|
 Sundance film poster | |
| Directed by | Tracy Droz Tragos Andrew Droz Palermo |
| Produced by | Tracy Droz Tragos Andrew Droz Palermo David Armillei |
| Cinematography | Andrew Droz Palermo |
| Edited by | Jim Hession |
| Music by | Nathan Halpern |
Production company | Dinky Pictures[1] |
| Distributed by | The Orchard Independent Lens |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 93 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
After its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, The Orchard and Independent Lens acquired distribution rights to the film. Independent Lens broadcast the film nationally on PBS, while The Orchard distributed the film in the U.S. and Canada outside of linear broadcast.[6][7] The film was released on August 1, 2014, in the United States.[8][9]
Synopsis
editThe film chronicles challenges, hopes, and dreams of three young residents — Andrew, Harley, and Appachey — of a rural American town.
Andrew's father has moved the family multiple times and his mother may suffer from agoraphobia. Harley lives with his grandmother in a trailer because his mother is in prison. Appachey was abandoned by his father at age 6 and lives with his mother and siblings. He chooses not to take medication for a number of conditions, including bipolar disorder, ADD, OCD, and ODD.[10]
Reception
editThe film received positive response from critics. Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 84% of 45 film critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 8 out of 10. The site's summary states: "As compassionate as it is infuriating, Rich Hill offers a sobering glimpse of American poverty."[11] On Metacritic, which assigns a weighted mean rating out of 100 reviews from film critics, the film holds an average score of '75', based on 20 reviews, indicating a 'Generally Favorable' response.[12]
Peter Debruge in his review for Variety called it "An open-hearted portrait of impoverished American life."[13] Duane Byrge of The Hollywood Reporter gave the film a positive review and called it "A hard-eyed but empathetic glimpse into the hardscrabble lives of struggling Missouri folk."[14] Katie Walsh of Indiewire said: "A truly moving and edifying film, Rich Hill is the type of media object that could and should be put in a time capsule for future generations." Dan Schindel in his review for Movie Mezzanine said "[it is] A wonderful look at pubescent melancholy and rural living."[15]
Accolades
edit
| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | Sundance Film Festival | U.S. Grand Jury Prize: Documentary | Tracy Droz Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo | Won |
| Sarasota Film Festival[16] | Documentary Directing: Special Jury Prize | Tracy Droz Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo | Won | |
| Kansas City FilmFest[17] | Best Heartland Feature Documentary | Tracy Droz Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo | Won |
References
edit- ^ "Rich Hill — Tracy Droz Tragos". Dinky Pictures. Retrieved August 18, 2019.
- ^ "Meet the 2014 Sundance Filmmakers #34: Small Town Carries Big Hopes in Tracy Tragos and Andrew Droz Palermo's 'Rich Hill'". IndieWire. January 16, 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
- ^ "Sundance 2014: U.S. Documentary Competition". IndieWire. January 10, 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
- ^ Patten, Dominic; Yamato, Jen (January 25, 2014). "Sundance: 'Whiplash' & 'Rich Hill' Win Grand Jury Awards; Dramatic Directing Goes To Cutter Hodierne For 'Fishing Without Nets'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
- ^ Smith, Nigel M. (January 25, 2014). "'Whiplash' Owns the 2014 Sundance Film Festival Awards Netting Two Top Prizes". IndieWire. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
- ^ "Sundance Grand Jury Doc Prize Winner 'Rich Hill' Lands Distribution". IndieWire. March 18, 2014. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
- ^ Kilday, Gregg (March 17, 2014). "Sundance Doc Winner 'Rich Hill' Goes to Orchard and Independent Lens". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
- ^ "Gripping doc 'Rich Hill' in limited release this weekend". Twin Lens Film. July 30, 2014. Archived from the original on August 12, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ "Specialty B.O. Office Preview: 'Calvary', 'Rich Hill', 'Child Of God', 'The Strange Little Cat'". Deadline Hollywood. July 31, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ O'Sullivan, Michael (August 21, 2014). "'Rich Hill' movie review: Dead ends and dreams deferred". Washington Post. Retrieved September 1, 2015.
- ^ "Rich Hill (2014)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ "Rich Hill (2014): Reviews". Metacritic. CNET Networks. Retrieved May 29, 2014.
- ^ Debruge, Peter (January 27, 2014). "Sundance Film Review: 'Rich Hill'". Variety. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
- ^ Byrge, Duane (January 22, 2014). "Rich Hill: Sundance Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
- ^ Schindel, Dan (January 17, 2014). "Sundance Review: 'Rich Hill' Finds Beauty in Small Moments". Movie Mezzanine. Retrieved April 12, 2014.
- ^ "2014 Sarasota Film Festival Award Winners". Filmmaker. April 13, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
- ^ "2014 Kansas City FilmFest Award Winners". Kansas City Filmfest. Archived from the original on May 5, 2014. Retrieved August 8, 2014.
