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THE HOUSE I LIVE INMovie Reviews
Documentary about the war on drugs, covering the American system of imprisoning addicts and its impact on millions of families. Cast:Michelle Alexander, Shanequa Benitez, Mark Bennett, Mike Carpenter, Larry Cearly, Eric Franklin, Glendon Goldsboro, Maurice Haltiwanger, Carl Hart, Nannie Jeter, Anthony Johnson, Gabor Mate, Mark Mauer, Richard Lawrence Miller, Charles Ogletree, Kevin Ott, Susan Randall, David Simon, Julie Stewart, Dennis Whidbee, Fabio ZuenaDirector:Eugene JareckiRelease Date:October 5, 2012DVD Release:July 2, 2013Length:1 hr. 50 min.
The House I Live In, Excellent Reviews (Doc) Key Cities
The House I Live In played in key cities to excellent reviews. • Ty Burr wrote in the Boston Globe, "...a lucid, long-view unpacking of the War on Drugs... I'd hate to imply that it's your civic duty to see this movie, but guess what -- it is." • And John Anderson wrote in the Wall Street Journal, "...a very potent movie." More Reviews Below...
The House I Live In Positive Reviews (23 Reviews, reviews below)
Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: OUTSTANDING(cg) "...powerfully despairing... Working as a superb investigative journalist, Eugene Jarecki demonstrates all the ways that the 'war' on drugs has become futile..."(See all of Owen Gleiberman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 106 words, 10/05/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Jarecki's film makes a shattering case against the War on Drugs, using street footage, prison footage and the closer-to-home story of Nannie Jeter..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 650 words, 10/12/12
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Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News: GOOD (NOT GREAT)(cg) "...an empathetic, if not entirely persuasive, look at an ongoing national dilemma.... more likely to impress the choir than change many minds."(See all of Elizabeth Weitzman's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 105 words, 10/05/12
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...as profoundly sad as it is enraging and potentially galvanizing, and it's one of the most important pieces of nonfiction to hit the screen in years... searing..."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 606 words, 10/12/12
Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: VERY GOOD(cg) "...there's a lot of very, very strong stuff here... the filmmaker has found ways to make it personal, without making it about himself..."(See all of Michael Phillips's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 504 words, 10/12/12
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Jarecki's film makes a shattering case against the War on Drugs, using street footage, prison footage and the closer-to-home story of Nannie Jeter..."(See all of Roger Ebert's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 650 words, 10/12/12
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...an occasionally muddled disquisition on the colossal failure of the war on drugs... rehashes much that will be familiar to even the most casual reader of newspapers..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 793 words, 10/03/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Jarecki never loses sight of the larger issue: America's war on drugs is an utter failure that, like most authoritarian initiatives, now exists primarily to perpetuate itself..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 199 words, 11/29/12
Claude Peck, Minneapolis Star-Tribune: MODERATE(cg) "...ambitious but frustratingly predictable... provides almost no new insights.... Some coverage of potential solutions would have been nice, along with the sermonizing."(See all of Claude Peck's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 274 words, 01/18/13
Ty Burr, Boston Globe: EXCELLENT(cg) "...a lucid, long-view unpacking of the War on Drugs... I'd hate to imply that it's your civic duty to see this movie, but guess what -- it is."(See all of Ty Burr's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 244 words, 01/22/12
G. Allen Johnson, San Francisco Chronicle: OUTSTANDING(cg) "Eugene Jarecki takes a highly original approach to create a compelling, thought-provoking look at a highly relevant and controversial topic... visually compelling..."(See all of G. Allen Johnson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 272 words, 10/19/12
Tom Long, Detroit News: EXCELLENT(cg) "Jarecki ('Why We Fight') is no stoner proselytizing on behalf of altered behavior; he's just looking at the too-many lives that have been ruined by this ridiculous quest."(See all of Tom Long's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 312 words, 12/07/12
Rene Rodriguez, Miami Herald: VERY GOOD(cg) "...vital, expansive... a work of journalism, not propaganda: Jarecki has done his research and leaves it to you to decide what to make of it."(See all of Rene Rodriguez's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 527 words, 11/09/12
ALTERNATIVE/INDIE PRESS (5 Reviews)
Melissa Anderson, Village Voice/LA Weekly: MODERATE "...an occasionally muddled disquisition on the colossal failure of the war on drugs... rehashes much that will be familiar to even the most casual reader of newspapers..."(See all of Melissa Anderson's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 793 words, 10/03/12
Noel Murray, AV Club: EXCELLENT(cg) "Much of the information in the movie will be familiar to anyone... but Jarecki's comprehensiveness and passion sell this story, scoop or no."(See all of Noel Murray's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 214 words, 01/23/12
Andrew Schenker, Slant: VERY GOOD(cg) "Jarecki's movie serves not only as a valuable civics lesson that may or may not steer public debate in new directions, but as a powerful piece of anguished filmmaking..."(See all of Andrew Schenker's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 602 words, 09/29/12
Norman Wilner, Toronto Now: EXCELLENT(cg) "Jarecki never loses sight of the larger issue: America's war on drugs is an utter failure that, like most authoritarian initiatives, now exists primarily to perpetuate itself..."(See all of Norman Wilner's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 199 words, 11/29/12
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...as profoundly sad as it is enraging and potentially galvanizing, and it's one of the most important pieces of nonfiction to hit the screen in years... searing..."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 606 words, 10/12/12
MOVIE INDUSTRY (5 Reviews)
Peter Debruge, Daily Variety: VERY GOOD "...a ballsy mix of interviews and editorializing that's daring enough to question a costly crackdown that has long had the public's support."(See all of Peter Debruge's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 631 words, 01/26/12
John DeFore, Hollywood Reporter: VERY GOOD "Balancing big-picture stats with personal perspectives, it should connect solidly with viewers at a moment when it seems possible to change public attitudes."(See all of John DeFore's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 524 words, 01/26/12
Sheri Linden, Los Angeles Times: OUTSTANDING "...as profoundly sad as it is enraging and potentially galvanizing, and it's one of the most important pieces of nonfiction to hit the screen in years... searing..."(See all of Sheri Linden's reviews...)(Read the full review...) 606 words, 10/12/12
16.0 Percentage Points Average Difference Between Reviews (Norm is 18.4pp; <18.4pp = More Consistent; >18.4pp = More Mixed)
The House I Live In's reviews are separated by an average 16.0 percentage points. The norm for this measure is 18.4 percentage points. Less than 18.4 indicates more consistent reviews; greater than 18.4 indicates more mixed reviews. In the chart below, each dot represents a review, with the dots at the top more positive than the dots at the bottom. From left to right, the dots represent reviews in big, bigger and biggest publications. Roll over each dot for more detail.
The House I Live In (23 reviews) Roll over dots for each review
Coverage:The House I Live In's reviews cover 32.7% of potential readers (average is 67.9%). Volume:The film's reviews total 10,155 words involume (average is 20,172 words). Length:The film's reviews average 442 words in length (the norm is 517 words).
The House I Live In Coverage, Volume & Length (23 Reviews, reviews below)
Reviews Broke 12 Days Before Release (Norm is 1.2 Release)
The House I Live In's reviews on average broke 12 days before opening. Norm for this measure is 1.2 hours before. The chart below shows reviews on opening day and the days before and after opening; the left side is earlier and the right side is later. The red bars extending above the horizontal mid-line represent more positive reviews, and the red bars extending below represent more negative reviews. The white space/red bar in the middle is The House I Live In's opening day. Click on any bar for a list of the reviews for that day.
The House I Live In (23 reviews, click on bars for reviews)
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