Dear Mr. Brody

Last updated
Dear Mr. Brody
Dear Mr Brody.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed byKeith Maitland
Produced by
  • Keith Maitland
  • Melissa Robyn Glassman
  • Megan Gilbride
  • Sarah Wilson
Cinematography
  • Sarah Wilson
  • Keith Maitland
Edited byAustin Reedy
Music byOsei Essed
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • March 16, 2021 (2021-03-16)(SXSW)
  • March 4, 2022 (2022-03-04)(United States)
Running time
96 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Dear Mr. Brody is a 2021 documentary film directed and produced by Keith Maitland. The film centers on letters written to Michael James Brody Jr. (born October 31, 1948; died January 26, 1973) [1] from the general public in response to Brody Jr.'s announcement (in early January 1970) that he would give away his inherited fortune (purported to be 25 million USD) to those in need. [2]

Contents

Synopsis

When 21-year-old Brody Jr. (heir to the Jelke oleomargarine company) announced his intention to give away his inheritance to anyone in need, he ignited a spiral of events that captured the media's attention. [3] [4] Brody, along with his newlywed wife Renee, became instant world-wide celebrities who were then mobbed by the American public, scrutinized by the press, and overwhelmed by an avalanche of letters responding to his offer. [1] [5] Nearly fifty-years after Brody Jr.'s death, a sampling of the enormous surviving unopened letters sent to him were opened for the camera, exposing a snapshot of America's hippie, communal, zeitgeist. [2] In Maitland's follow-up to his 2016 mostly-animated documentary TOWER , he reveals the story of Brody Jr. — and the countless people who sought his help — to create an exposé on desire, need, philanthropy, and love. [6]

Release

The film had its virtual premiere at South by Southwest on March 16, 2021. [7] The film's world premiere was scheduled for the Tribeca Film Festival in April 2020, but the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [8] [9] [10] It was also selected to screen at the Telluride Film Festival in September 2020, prior to its cancellation. [11] In October 2021, Discovery+ and Greenwich Entertainment were announced to have acquired distribution rights to the film. [5] It is scheduled to be released on March 4, 2022, prior to streaming on Discovery+ on April 28, 2022. [12] [13]

Reception

The film received generally positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 28 reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.4/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Dear Mr. Brody uses its stranger-than-fiction true story to take a touching look at how an act of kindness can reverberate for years." [14] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 78 out of 100 based on eight critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [15]

Related Research Articles

Miguel Arteta is a Puerto Rican director of film and television, known for his independent film Chuck & Buck (2000), for which he received the Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award, and for the films The Good Girl (2002) and Cedar Rapids (2011).

<i>Salinger</i> (film) 2013 American film

Salinger is a 2013 American documentary film about the reclusive writer J. D. Salinger directed and produced by Shane Salerno. The film tells the story of Salinger's life through interviews with friends, historians, and journalists. The film premiered at the 40th annual Telluride Film Festival and had a second premiere on the opening night of the Toronto International Film Festival.

<i>Gully</i> (film) 2019 American film

Gully is an 2019 American coming-of-age drama film, directed by Nabil Elderkin in his directorial debut, from a screenplay by Marcus J. Guillory. It stars Jacob Latimore, Charlie Plummer, Jonathan Majors, Kelvin Harrison Jr., Amber Heard, and Terrence Howard.

Topic Studios

Topic Studios is an American film production company owned by First Look Media. The company is known for producing films Leave No Trace (2018), Luce (2019), The Climb (2019), The Mauritanian (2021). The company also produces television shows including Love Fraud (2020) and 100 Foot Wave (2021).

<i>Expecting Amy</i>

Expecting Amy is an American documentary miniseries directed by Alexander Hammer that follows Amy Schumer through her pregnancy and hyperemesis gravidarum, including the creation of her stand-up special Amy Schumer: Growing. Schumer also serves as an executive producer. It premiered on July 9, 2020 on HBO Max.

<i>The Truffle Hunters</i> 2020 documentary film directed by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw

The Truffle Hunters is a 2020 documentary film directed and produced by Michael Dweck and Gregory Kershaw. It follows a group of aging men hunting in the woods, for a prized quarry, the Alba truffle. Luca Guadagnino serves as an executive producer under his Frenesy Film Company banner.

<i>Julia</i> (2021 film) 2021 American film

Julia is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Julie Cohen and Betsy West. The documentary chronicles the life of Julia Child. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard serve as executive producers.

<i>Not Going Quietly</i> 2021 American film

Not Going Quietly is a 2021 American documentary film, directed by Nicholas Bruckman and produced by Amanda Roddy, following Ady Barkan, embarking on a national campaign for healthcare reform. Mark Duplass, Jay Duplass and Bradley Whitford serve as executive producers.

<i>Cyrano</i> (film) 2021 film by Joe Wright

Cyrano is a 2021 musical romantic drama film directed by Joe Wright and with a screenplay by Erica Schmidt, based on Schmidt's 2018 stage musical of the same name, itself based on the 1897 Edmond Rostand play Cyrano de Bergerac. The film stars Peter Dinklage, Haley Bennett, Kelvin Harrison Jr., and Ben Mendelsohn.

<i>Mr. Soul!</i> 2018 film by Melissa Haizlip

Mr. Soul! is a 2018 American documentary film produced, written and directed by documentary filmmaker Melissa Haizlip. The film was co-produced by Doug Blush and co-directed by Sam Pollard. The film tells the story of Ellis Haizlip, the producer and host of SOUL!, the music-and-talk program that aired on public television from 1968 to 1973 and aimed at a Black audience. It was released in 2018 and has since received 21 filmmaking awards. Attorney Chaz Ebert, record executive Ron Gillyard, producer and director Stan Lathan, producer Rishi Rajani, producer Stephanie T. Rance, actor Blair Underwood and screenwriter, producer and actress Lena Waithe are the executive producers of the film.

<i>17 Blocks</i> 2019 American film

17 Blocks is an 2019 American documentary film, directed by Davy Rothbart, written by Rothbart and Jennifer Tiexiera. The film revolves around The Sanford Family, who spent 20 years filming themselves.

<i>Introducing, Selma Blair</i> 2021 American film

Introducing, Selma Blair is a 2021 American documentary film, directed by Rachel Fleit. It follows Selma Blair, adapting to new ways of living after revealing her multiple sclerosis diagnosis.

<i>Enemies of the State</i> 2020 American film

Enemies of the State is a 2020 American documentary film directed and produced by Sonia Kennebeck. It follows Matt DeHart, who says the U.S. government has invented sex crime allegations against him in retaliation for having confidential documents alleging misconduct by the CIA. Errol Morris serves as an executive producer.

<i>Paper & Glue</i> (film) 2021 film

Paper & Glue is a 2021 American documentary film, directed by JR. It follows JR's intention of giving a global voice to everyday people through art. Brian Grazer and Ron Howard serve as executive producers under their Imagine Documentaries banner.

XTR is an American film production company founded in 2019, by Bryn Mooser. The company is best known for producing films Mucho Mucho Amor: The Legend of Walter Mercado (2020), Bloody Nose, Empty Pockets (2020), The Fight, (2020), 76 Days (2020), and Ascension (2021).

<i>Pray Away</i> 2021 American documentary film

Pray Away is a 2021 American documentary film produced and directed by Kristine Stolakis. It follows survivors of conversion therapy, and former leaders. Jason Blum and Ryan Murphy serve as executive producers.

<i>LFG</i> (film) 2021 American film

LFG is a 2021 American documentary film, directed and produced by Andrea Nix Fine and Sean Fine, with Andrea Nix Fine also serving as a writer. It follows Megan Rapinoe, Jessica McDonald, Becky Sauerbrunn, Kelley O'Hara, Christen Press, Sam Mewis and Julie Foudy, as they sue the United States Soccer Federation for pay discrimination. U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner in Los Angeles has scheduled a trial for September 15 on the players’ remaining claim of discriminatory work conditions which the U.S. woman's national team were successful in the claim for discriminatory work conditions, which included issues such as hotels, etc. In May 2020, Klausner summarily dismissed the unequal pay portion of the lawsuit.

<i>Ascension</i> (film) 2021 American film

Ascension is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Jessica Kingdon. It follows the pursuit of the Chinese dream through the social classes, prioritizing productivity and innovation.

<i>Becoming Cousteau</i> 2021 American film

Becoming Cousteau is a 2021 American documentary film directed and produced by Liz Garbus. It follows the life and career of Jacques Cousteau.

Wojnarowicz: F**k You F*ggot F**ker is a 2020 biographical documentary film about David Wojnarowicz, directed by Chris McKim. The film premiered at 2020 DOC NYC. It was intended to premiere at the 2020 Tribeca Film Festival before the festival was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

References

  1. 1 2 Knight, Michael (1973-01-27). "Michael Brody Is a Suicide". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  2. 1 2 "Dear Mr Brody: how a 21-year-old millionaire started a media frenzy". the Guardian. 2022-03-02. Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  3. ↑ "Jelke Heir Starts Giving Away 26‐Million Legacy to All Corners". The New York Times. January 17, 1970. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2022-04-24.
  4. ↑ Schuessler, Jennifer (April 27, 2022). "An Heir, a $25 Million Giveaway and 30,000 Unopened Letters". The New York Times . Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  5. 1 2 White, Peter (October 1, 2021). "Dear Mr. Brody' Lands At Discovery+ As Part Of Latest Feature Doc Slate". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  6. ↑ Hammond, Pete (August 27, 2020). "Remarkable Docu 'Dear Mr. Brody' Hopes For New Cinematic Life Past Cancellation Of Telluride Film Festival World Premiere". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  7. ↑ Day-Ramos, Dino (February 10, 2021). "SXSW Film Festival Unveils Full Lineup; Charli XCX Quarantine Feature To Close Fest; Tom Petty Docu Set As Centerpiece". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved February 10, 2021.
  8. ↑ "Dear Mr. Brody". Tribeca Film Festival . Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  9. ↑ Goldsmith, Jill (March 3, 2020). "Tribeca Sets Feature Lineup Of Films For 2020 Fest". Deadline Hollywood . Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  10. ↑ Beresford, Tribly; Lewis, Hilary (March 12, 2020). "Tribeca Film Festival Postponed Amid Coronavirus Fears". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  11. ↑ Keegan, Rebecca (August 3, 2020). "Inside the Telluride Film Festival That Would Have Been". The Hollywood Reporter . Retrieved March 14, 2021.
  12. ↑ Zilko, Christian (February 17, 2022). "'Dear Mr. Brody' Trailer: Documentary Shows Another Side of Infamous Sweepstakes Gone Wrong". IndieWire . Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  13. ↑ "discovery+ Announces Expansive Slate of Documentaries for 2022". Discovery+ . February 3, 2022. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Dear Mr. Brody". Rotten Tomatoes . Fandango Media . Retrieved April 27, 2022.
  15. ↑ "Dear Mr. Brody". Metacritic . Red Ventures . Retrieved April 27, 2022.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.