FilmSnobReviews

Title: Butterfly in the Sky
MPAA Rating: Not Yet Rated
Director: Bradford Thomason, Brett Whitcomb
Starring: LeVar Burton, Alisa Reyes, Dean Parisot
Runtime: 1 hr 27 mins

What It Is: Reading Rainbow is a program that affected and touched the lives of many MANY children like myself who grew up in the ’90s. This documentary examines these effects as well as the history of one of television’s best and most fascinating children’s shows. The deep dive includes a discussion on the program’s host LeVar Burton who forever changed the landscape of television in more ways than one! All this while teaching millions of children how to read and gain a love of reading.

What We Think: What a masterful piece of documentary filmmaking. For anyone around my age seeing this show discussed in such a way is an almost cathartic experience. It’s a rare documentary that will make me shed a tear. This is probably my favorite documentary of the year and one of my overall favorite films.  This is a beautiful, brilliant and wonderful documentary. LeVar Burton changed so many lives and shows you all exactly why he’s THE man. This is the sort of film that restores your faith in humanity.

Our Grade: A+, This was always going to be a perfect score from the second that film finished. It’s what I look for in films of this nature. I HIGHLY recommend everyone check this film out. But…I caution you to bring the tissues. You’ll need them. This is a terrific piece that definitely deserves your time. If you loved Won’t You Be My Neighbor? then this is for sure something you will enjoy. And much like that, for people of a certain age the nostalgia will be overwhelming especially on an emotional level. There’s no wide release date yet but something tell me it’ll sneak in towards the end of the year. Just in time for awards season.