Twenty Feet from Stardom 2013

A.O. Scott, New York Times: This generous, fascinating documentary about the careers of backup singers, most of them African-American women, seeks to rewrite the history of pop music by focusing attention on voices at once marginal and vital. Read more

David Edelstein, New York Magazine/Vulture: You gasp at the ecstatic convergence of lung power and spirit. Read more

Claudia Puig, USA Today: They perform with world-famous musical acts, but theirs are not household names. Their stories, however, are inspiring, heartbreaking and enthralling. Read more

Sam Adams, AV Club: Neville doesn't dwell unduly on the vicissitudes of fame; he's more concerned with celebrating his subjects' accomplishments and giving them a(nother) chance through new recordings on which they sing both backup and lead. Read more

Barbara VanDenburgh, Arizona Republic: Music documentarian Morgan Neville uses a mix of live interviews and archival footage to let the singers, and their music, tell their stories of vocal triumph and thwarted ambition. Read more

Ty Burr, Boston Globe: A film that may be the happiest time you'll have at the movies all summer. Read more

J. R. Jones, Chicago Reader: The movie takes its cues from Standing in the Shadows of Motown, another act of pop-culture revisionism that tried to give musical credit where it was due. Read more

Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune: Just about everything in this movie is right. And anybody who gives a rip about unsung heroines of popular music and giving credit when credit's overdue had better come up with a good excuse not to see it. Read more

Peter Rainer, Christian Science Monitor: I have rarely seen a movie that better expressed the revivifying nature of music. Read more

Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News: Loaded with stirring anecdotes and even richer music, Twenty Feet also makes for a fascinating study in ego sublimation. Read more

Tom Long, Detroit News: The enthusiasm and love of music on display is just unavoidable. "20 Feet" may not get the whole story, but it gets some good ones. Read more

Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly: As long as you're hearing the singing and stories of Lisa Fischer, Merry Clayton, and the great Darlene Love, you can bliss out on their passion. Read more

William Goss, Film.com: Between the welcome anecdotes, the wealth of archival footage, the well-polished production values and an inevitably remarkable soundtrack spanning the greatest decades of American rock and soul, Stardom mostly hits the right notes. Read more

Justin Lowe, Hollywood Reporter: More than a tribute, the film is a recognition of the talent and sacrifice that many of these vocalists have invested in often challenging careers. Read more

Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times: Their voices are powerful enough to tear you apart and put you back together again, and their stories will do the same. Read more

Rafer Guzman, Newsday: This illuminating documentary looks into a small corner of the music industry to find deeper truths about talent, artistry and success. Read more

Bruce Diones, New Yorker: This spirited, thoughtful look at unheralded but ubiquitous artists gives supreme credit where credit is due. Read more

Stephen Whitty, Newark Star-Ledger: When any one of these women steps up to the microphone - well, they really soar. And they carry us along with them. Read more

Jim Farber, New York Daily News: It's that versatility that defines these singers, the ability to make following seem as important as leading. Read more

Sara Stewart, New York Post: In a film that's often sad but not without its triumphs, director Morgan Neville smartly explores the complex role that ego and self-promotion play in this profession. Read more

Michael Sragow, Orange County Register: 20 Feet from Stardom has it all -- electric, revelatory stories, engaging personalities, and a gusto that takes you higher and higher. Read more

Peter Travers, Rolling Stone: Why should you see a documentary about backup singers? One look at the electrifying 20 Feet From Stardom and you'll have the answer, that is, after you stop cheering. Read more

Peter Hartlaub, San Francisco Chronicle: This film festival favorite is a genuine crowd pleaser, meant to right a few wrongs in the music industry, offer a window into the lives of some hard-charging entertainers, and above all make audiences leave the theater humming a song. Read more

Dave Hoekstra, Chicago Sun-Times: The documentary tells similarly poignant stories in a fast-paced 91 minutes through interviews, contemporary concert footage and great archival stuff. Read more

Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail: You may never hear the Rolling Stones's Gimme Shelter the same way again after hearing Jagger's and Clayton's separate accounts of the recording of the song. Read more

Peter Howell, Toronto Star: You know all those doo-doo-doos and whoa-whoas-whoas you hear in pop hits? Without them, supplied by the likes of Darlene Love and Merry Clayton, you likely wouldn't be singing along to the songs you hear on your car radio. Read more

David Fear, Time Out: [Neville] nails the sense of joie de vivre these extraordinary artists put into every note-a tribute to doing it for the love of the expression over stardom that provides incalculable amounts of inspiration. Read more

Peter Debruge, Variety: Twenty Feet From Stardom wages a compelling crusade to get background singers some long-overdue recognition. Read more

Ernest Hardy, Village Voice: An exquisitely rendered look at the dialectics of celebrity and artistry, luck and hard work, its conversation laced with smart observations about race and gender. Read more

Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post: An engaging look at the nexus of art and commerce, talent and hard work. It's a story of standing out and blending in, sometimes at the same time. Read more