Movie Review ‘Norman Lear Just Another Version of You’

At one point in the documentary Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You, producer Philip Rosenthal (Everybody Loves Raymond) claims that the history of television can be divided into two periods: “Before Norman and After Norman,” so important is the contribution of producer Norman Lear, the creator of All in the Family, Maude, The Jeffersons and many other legendary series. Rosenthal might very well be right, but unfortunately directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady’s documentary simply asserts rather than argues that case. Sure, it is ineluctably entertaining, thanks to its still-spry 93-year-old star-subject, and well-chosen clips from his many classic sitcoms, along with cameos from Lear fans Amy Poehler, George Clooney, and Jon Stewart, among others. But over the long haul, the film feels a little too eulogistic, too reliant on hyperbole and too in love with its own gimmicks to make it more than just a serviceable crowd-pleaser.

Read the full review of ‘Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You’ on Hollywood Reporter