American Utopia is a 2020 American concert film directed and produced by Spike Lee, from a screenplay by David Byrne. The film is a live recording of a Broadway performance of the show adapted from the touring show that supported the album of the same name, featuring selections from that album, as well as songs from throughout Byrne's career. Byrne performs alongside eleven musicians, all performing with wireless or portable equipment. Frequent collaborator Annie-B Parson serves as choreographer.
American Utopia | |
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Directed by | Spike Lee |
Written by | David Byrne |
Produced by |
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Starring | David Byrne |
Cinematography | Ellen Kuras |
Edited by | Adam Gough |
Music by | David Byrne |
Production companies |
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Distributed by | HBO (United States) Universal Pictures (International)[1] |
Release dates |
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Running time | 105 minutes[2] |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
It had its world premiere at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2020. The film received critical acclaim.
All provide percussion; all except Byrne provide backing vocals.
In June 2020, it was announced Spike Lee had directed a filmed version of the Broadway performance American Utopia by David Byrne, with HBO distributing.[3][4]
The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10, 2020.[5] It screened at the New York Film Festival on October 3, 2020,[6][7] and the BFI London Film Festival on October 14, 2020.[8][9] It was broadcast in the United States and Canada on HBO and made available for streaming through HBO Max (U.S.) and Crave (Canada) on October 17, 2020.[10][11] Universal Pictures distributes the film in all other countries.[1] The film received a limited theatrical release in the United States throughout September 2021.
American Utopia received critical acclaim. It holds a 98% approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on 135 reviews, with an average of 8.6/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Helmed in elegant and exhilarating style by Spike Lee, David Byrne's American Utopia is a concert film that doubles as a joyously cathartic celebration."[12] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 93 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[13]
Erik Adams of The A.V. Club devotes a lengthy review to American Utopia as "the right movie for 2020", noting how Byrne balances hope in a tumultuous world, writing, "The key to American Utopia's resonance isn’t so much one of joy versus despair as it is connection versus isolation".[14]
Award | Date of ceremony | Category | Recipient(s) | Result | Ref. |
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Chicago Film Critics Association Awards | December 21, 2020 | Best Documentary Film | David Byrne and Spike Lee | Nominated | [15] |
Florida Film Critics Circle Awards | December 21, 2020 | Best Documentary Film | American Utopia on Broadway | Nominated | [16] |
San Diego Film Critics Society Awards | January 11, 2021 | Best Use of Music | American Utopia on Broadway | Runner-up | [17] |
Toronto Film Critics Association Awards | February 7, 2021 | Allan King Documentary Award | Spike Lee | Runner-up | [18] |
Directors Guild of America Award | April 10, 2021 | Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Variety/Talk/News/Sports – Specials | Spike Lee | Nominated | [19] |
American Cinema Editors Eddie Awards | April 17, 2021 | Best Edited Variety Talk/Sketch Show or Special | Adam Gough | Won | [20] |
Primetime Emmy Awards | September 19, 2021 | Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded) | Jeff Skoll, David Linde, Diane Weyermann, Len Blavatnik, David Bither, Charlie Cohen, Kurt Deutsch, Bill Pohlad, Christa Zofcin Workman, Jon Kamen, Dave Sirulnick, Meredith Bennett, Kristin Caskey, Mike Isaacson, Patrick Catullo, Sue Naegle, Alec Sash, David Byrne and Spike Lee | Nominated | [21] |
September 11 and 12, 2021 | Outstanding Directing for a Variety Special | Spike Lee | Nominated | ||
Outstanding Lighting Design/Lighting Direction for a Variety Special | Rob Sinclair and Brian Spett | Won | |||
Outstanding Music Direction | Karl Mansfield | Nominated | |||
Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Variety Series or Special | Paul Hsu, Pete Keppler and Michael Lonsdale | Won | |||
Outstanding Technical Direction, Camerawork, Video Control for a Special | Peter Agliata, Kerwin DeVonish, Tim Ives, Ellen Kuras, Sam Levy, Charles Libin, Declan Quinn, Yousheng Tang, Gregor Tavenner and David Waterston | Nominated | |||
Tony Awards | September 26, 2021 | Special Tony Award | American Utopia on Broadway | Won | |
Grammy Awards | January 31, 2022 | Best Music Film | American Utopia on Broadway | Nominated | [22] |
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Studio albums | |
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Singles | |
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Concert tours |
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Other works |
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Related articles |
Special Tony Award | |
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1976–2000 |
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2001–present |
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