20 Feet from Stardom

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20 Feet from Stardom
Twenty Feet From Stardom poster.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Morgan Neville
Produced by Gil Friesen
Caitrin Rogers
Michael Ross
Steve Jacobs
Starring Darlene Love
Merry Clayton
Lisa Fischer
Judith Hill
Jo Lawry
Claudia Lennear
Tata Vega
CinematographyNicola Marsh
Graham Willoughby
Edited by Kevin Klauber
Jason Zeldes
Music byVarious Artists
Production
companies
Tremolo Productions
Gil Friesen Productions
Distributed by RADiUS-TWC
Release dates
  • January 17, 2013 (2013-01-17)(Sundance)
  • June 14, 2013 (2013-06-14)(United States)
Running time
90 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$1 million
Box office$5.8 million [2]

20 Feet from Stardom (stylized in the film's title sequence as Twenty Feet from Stardom) is a 2013 American documentary film directed by documentary filmmaker Morgan Neville [3] and produced by Gil Friesen, a music industry executive whose curiosity to know more about the lives of background singers inspired the making of the film. [4] Using archival footage and new interviews, it details the behind-the-scenes experiences of such backup singers as Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill, Jo Lawry, Claudia Lennear, and Tata Vega. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 86th Academy Awards, 23 years after In the Shadow of the Stars (1991), a similar documentary that focused on the members of an opera chorus, won the same award.

Contents

Lisa Fischer has said of backup singing: "I reject the notion that the job you excel at is somehow not enough to aspire to, that there has to be something more. I love supporting other artists." She added: "Some people will do anything to be famous. I just wanted to sing." [5]

In 2023, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." It is the eighth film designated in its first year of eligibility, as well as the second most recently released film in the Registry. [6]

Cast

Archival footage

Release

On January 17, 2013, 20 Feet from Stardom premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It was acquired by Radius-The Weinstein Company at the festival, and was released nationwide in the United States on June 14, 2013. [7] The film was acquired for international distribution by Elle Driver / Wild Bunch. [8] Some of the many other film festivals that screened the film in 2013 include South by Southwest Film Festival, True/False Film Festival, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival, Philadelphia Music Film Festival, RiverRun Film Festival, San Francisco Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, and Montclair Film Festival. [9] [10] [11] [12]

Reception

Box office

The film was a box office success, grossing $4,946,445 at the domestic box office, and $898,560 internationally, for a worldwide total of $5,845,005. [2]

Critical reception

20 Feet from Stardom received critical acclaim. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 99% approval rating based on 129 reviews, with an average score of 8.0/10; the site's "critics consensus" reads: "Rich, insightful, and occasionally heartbreaking, 20 Feet From Stardom is an energetic tribute to the passion, talent, and hard work of backup singers." [13] On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 83 out of 100, based on 25 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim". [14]

The Ithaca Times compared the film to the 2012 book The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret , which focuses on uncredited studio musicians from the same era as the one that features most prominently in the film. [15]

Accolades

At the 86th Academy Awards ceremony, held on March 2, 2014, the film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. [16] It also won the award for Best Documentary Film at the 19th Critics' Choice Awards. [17] At the 57th Grammy Awards, the film won the award for Best Music Film.

Accolades for 20 Feet from Stardom
Award / Film FestivalCategoryRecipient(s)Result
86th Academy Awards [18] Best Documentary Feature 20 Feet from StardomMorgan Neville, Gil Friesen, and Caitrin Rogers Won
AARP Annual Movies for Grownups Awards [19] Best Documentary20 Feet from StardomWon
ACE Awards Best Edited Documentary – FeatureDouglas Blush, Kevin Klauber, and Jason ZeldesWon
Amsterdam International Documentary Film Festival Music Documentary Audience Award20 Feet from StardomWon
2014 Black Reel Awards Outstanding Documentary20 Feet from StardomWon
Outstanding Original Song"Desperation" – Judith Hill Won
2013 Chicago Film Critics Association [20] Best Documentary Film20 Feet from StardomNominated
19th Critics' Choice Awards [17] Best Documentary Film 20 Feet from StardomWon
2013 Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association Awards [21] Best Documentary Film20 Feet from StardomWon
2013 Denver Film Critics Society AwardsBest Documentary Film20 Feet from StardomNominated
Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing - Documentary Feature FilmAl Nelson, Kim Foscato, and Pete HornerNominated
57th Grammy Awards Best Music Film 20 Feet from Stardom – Morgan Neville (director), Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, and Judith HillWon
2013 Houston Film Critics Society Awards [22] Best Documentary Feature20 Feet from StardomWon
29th Independent Spirit Awards [23] Best Documentary Feature 20 Feet from Stardom – Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen, and Caitrin RogersWon
Iowa Film CriticsBest Documentary20 Feet from StardomWon
NAACP Image Awards Outstanding Documentary – Theatrical20 Feet from StardomNominated
2013 National Board of Review Awards Best Documentary20 Feet from StardomNominated
2013 New York Film Critics Circle Awards [24] Best Non-Fiction Film20 Feet from StardomNominated
2013 St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association Awards Best Documentary20 Feet from StardomNominated
2013 San Diego Film Critics Society Awards Best Documentary Film20 Feet from StardomNominated
18th Satellite Awards Best Documentary Film20 Feet from StardomNominated
2013 Seattle International Film Festival Best Documentary20 Feet from StardomWon
2013 Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association Awards [25] Best Documentary 20 Feet from StardomNominated

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