Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work | |
---|---|
Directed by | Ricki Stern Anne Sundberg |
Written by | Ricki Stern |
Produced by | Ricki Stern Anne Sundberg Seth Keal |
Starring | |
Cinematography | Charles Miller |
Edited by | Penelope Falk |
Music by | Paul Brill |
Production company | Break Thru Films |
Distributed by | IFC Films |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 85 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
Box office | $2.9 million [1] |
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work is a 2010 documentary film about the life and career of comedian Joan Rivers, also featuring Melissa Rivers, Don Rickles and Kathy Griffin.
It had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2010. It was released on June 11, 2010, by IFC Films. The film received positive reviews from critics.
This article needs an improved plot summary.(November 2015) |
The film follows Joan Rivers for 14 months, mostly during the 76th year of her life. [2] The film made an effort to "[peel] away the mask" and expose the "struggles, sacrifices and joy of living life as a ground breaking female performer." [3] The New York Times reported that Stern and Sundberg "lucked out" with their timing, starting to film the year before Rivers won Donald Trump's Celebrity Apprentice in 2008. [2]
The film had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25, 2010. [4] Shortly after, IFC Films acquired distribution rights to the film. [5] It also screened at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26, 2010, [6] and the San Francisco International Film Festival at the Castro Theatre on May 6, 2010. [7] [8] It was released in a limited release on June 11, 2010. [9]
In its opening weekend, the film made $164,351 while playing at 7 theaters. [10]
On December 14, 2010, A Piece of Work was released on Region 1 DVD and Blu-ray, complete with the theatrical trailer, 10 deleted scenes, and TV spots. [11]
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work received positive reviews from film critics. It holds a 92% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 108 reviews, with a weighted average of 7.65/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Penetrating Rivers' coarse image, this compelling documentary offers an honest, behind-the-scenes look at her career—and at show business in general." [12] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 79 out of 100, based on 34 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". [13]
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Anne Sundberg is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer, most known for her documentarian work. She works alongside Ricki Stern. She is most known for The Trials of Darryl Hunt (2006), The Devil Came on Horseback (2007), The End of America (2007), Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010), and Surviving Jeffrey Epstein (2020).
Ricki Stern is an American film director, screenwriter, producer, most known for her documentarian work, and author. She works alongside Anne Sundberg. She is most known for The Trials of Darryl Hunt (2006), The Devil Came on Horseback (2007), The End of America (2007), Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010), Surviving Jeffrey Epstein (2020), and Surviving Death (2021).
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