20 Feet from Stardom is a 2013 American documentary film directed by Morgan Neville and produced by Gil Friesen, a music industry executive whose curiosity to know more about the lives of background singers inspired the making of the film. Using archival footage and new interviews, it details the behind-the-scenes experiences of such backup singers as Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill, Jo Lawry, Claudia Lennear, and Tata Vega. The film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 86th Academy Awards, 22 years after In the Shadow of the Stars (1991), a similar documentary that focused on the members of an opera chorus, won the same award.
Lisa Fischer has described backup singing: "I reject the notion that the job you excel at is somehow not enough to aspire to, that there has to be something more. I love supporting other artists." She added: "Some people will do anything to be famous. I just wanted to sing."
In 2023, the film was selected for preservation in the United States National Film Registry by the Library of Congress as being "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant." It is the eighth film designated in its first year of eligibility, as well as the third most recently released film in the Registry.
Cast
Lou Adler Stevvi Alexander Patti Austin Chris Botti Merry Clayton Charlotte Crossley Sheryl Crow Lisa Fischer Susaye Greene Judith Hill Cissy Houston Mick Jagger Mable John Gloria Jones David Lasley Jo Lawry Claudia Lennear Darlene Love Lynn Mabry Bette Midler Cindy Mizelle Janice Pendarvis Nicki Richards Bruce Springsteen Sting Rose Stone (née Stewart) Tata Vega Martha Wash The Waters (Oren, Julia, and Maxine Waters) Stevie Wonder
Archival footage
David Bowie Ray Charles Ava Cherry Michael Jackson Elton John Tom Jones David Letterman Kylie Minogue Ike & Tina Turner Luther Vandross
Release On January 17, 2013, 20 Feet from Stardom premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. It was acquired by Radius-The Weinstein Company at the festival and was released nationwide in the United States on June 14, 2013. The film was acquired for international distribution by Elle Driver / Wild Bunch. Some of the many other film festivals that screened the film in 2013 include South by Southwest Film Festival, True/False Film Festival, Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, Hawaii International Film Festival, Philadelphia Music Film Festival, RiverRun Film Festival, San Francisco Film Festival, Seattle International Film Festival, and Montclair Film Festival.
Reception Box office The film was a box office success, grossing $4,946,445 at the domestic box office, and $898,560 internationally, for a worldwide total of $5,845,005.
Critical reception 20 Feet from Stardom received critical acclaim. On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, it has a 99% approval rating based on 126 reviews, with an average score of 8.0/10; the site's "critics consensus" reads: "Rich, insightful, and occasionally heartbreaking, 20 Feet From Stardom is an energetic tribute to the passion, talent, and hard work of backup singers." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 83 out of 100, based on 25 reviews, indicating "universal acclaim".
The Ithaca Times compared the film to the 2012 book The Wrecking Crew: The Inside Story of Rock and Roll's Best-Kept Secret, which focuses on uncredited studio musicians from the same era as the one that features most prominently in the film.
Accolades At the 86th Academy Awards ceremony, held on March 2, 2014, the film won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature. It also won the award for Best Documentary Film at the 19th Critics' Choice Awards. At the 57th Grammy Awards, the film won the award for Best Music Film.
+Accolades for 20 Feet from StardomAward / Film FestivalCategoryRecipient(s)Result86th Academy AwardsBest Documentary Feature Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen, and Caitrin Rogers AARP Annual Movies for Grownups Awards Best Documentary 20 Feet from Stardom ACE AwardsBest Edited Documentary – FeatureDouglas Blush, Kevin Klauber, and Jason ZeldesAmsterdam International Documentary Film FestivalMusic Documentary Audience Award20 Feet from Stardom 2014 Black Reel AwardsOutstanding Documentary20 Feet from StardomOutstanding Original Song"Desperation" – Judith Hill2013 Chicago Film Critics AssociationBest Documentary Film 20 Feet from Stardom19th Critics' Choice AwardsBest Documentary Film 20 Feet from Stardom2013 Dallas–Fort Worth Film Critics Association AwardsBest Documentary Film 20 Feet from Stardom2013 Denver Film Critics Society AwardsBest Documentary Film 20 Feet from StardomGolden Reel AwardsBest Sound Editing - Documentary Feature FilmAl Nelson, Kim Foscato, and Pete Horner57th Grammy AwardsBest Music Film Morgan Neville (director), Gil Friesen, Caitrin Rogers (producers), Darlene Love, Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, and Judith Hill2013 Houston Film Critics Society AwardsTapley, Kristopher (December 15, 2013). "2013 Houston Film Critics Society winners" . HitFix.com. Retrieved January 25, 2014.Best Documentary Feature 20 Feet from Stardom29th Independent Spirit AwardsBest Documentary Feature20 Feet from Stardom – Morgan Neville, Gil Friesen, and Caitrin RogersIowa Film CriticsBest Documentary20 Feet from StardomNAACP Image AwardsOutstanding Documentary – Theatrical20 Feet from Stardom2013 National Board of Review AwardsBest Documentary20 Feet from Stardom2013 New York Film Critics Circle AwardsBest Non-Fiction Film20 Feet from Stardom2013 St. Louis Gateway Film Critics Association AwardsBest Documentary20 Feet from Stardom2013 San Diego Film Critics Society AwardsBest Documentary Film 20 Feet from Stardom18th Satellite AwardsBest Documentary Film 20 Feet from Stardom2013 Seattle International Film FestivalBest Documentary 20 Feet from Stardom2013 Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association AwardsBest Documentary20 Feet from Stardom
See also 20 Feet from Stardom (soundtrack) References
External links