Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008)
96%RT Audience Score: 96%
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 5 nominations
Dear Zachary is a both a touching tribute to a fallen friend and a heart-wrenching account of justice gone astray, skillfully put to film with no emotion spared.
Yo, have you seen Dear Zachary? It’s like a rollercoaster of emotions, man. It’s a tribute to a friend who passed away and a total tear-jerker. But then, it’s also a story of justice gone wrong, and it’ll make you wanna scream at the screen. The filmmakers did an amazing job of capturing all the feels, and they didn’t hold back on the emotions. It’s a must-watch, but make sure you have some tissues handy.
Production Company(ies)
MSNBC Films,
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
St. John’s, Newfoundland, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2008
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.33 : 1
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Runtime:NA
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Oct 31, 2008 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 24, 2009
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
Dear Zachary, A Letter to a Son About His Father, documentary, 2008, 1h 35m, directed by Kurt Kuenne, written by Kurt Kuenne, produced by Kurt Kuenne, reviewed by Mark Holcomb, Rob Humanick, Hank Sartin, Stanley Kauffmann, Nick Schager, Robert Abele, Mattie Lucas, C.J Prince, David Nusair, Tracy Moore, Nick Rogers, Marty Mapes, starring Kurt Kuenne, genre: documentary, box office performance: N/A, budget: N/A, MPAA rating: N/A, producer: Kurt Kuenne, critic names: Mark Holcomb, Rob Humanick, Hank Sartin, Stanley Kauffmann, Nick Schager, Robert Abele, Mattie Lucas, C.J Prince, David Nusair, Tracy Moore, Nick Rogers, Marty Mapes
Worldwide gross: $18,334
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $25,254
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,116
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,754
US/Canada gross: $18,334
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $25,254
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,792
US/Canada opening weekend: $2,886
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $3,975
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,817
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): NA
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): NA
Production budget ranking: NA
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Kurt Kuenne – Director
Kurt Kuenne – Writer
Kurt Kuenne – Producer
Director(s)
Kurt Kuenne
Writer(s)
Kurt Kuenne
Producer(s)
Kurt Kuenne
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 5 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (51) | Top Critics (14) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (3)
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Holcomb
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
The most ambitious work of its kind.
February 26, 2009 | Rating: 3.5/4
Rob Humanick
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
Just take our advice and bring tissues. You’re going to need them.
November 25, 2008 | Rating: 5/5
Hank Sartin
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
A slick account of ancient crevices in the human psyche rendered in cutting-edge cinematic style.
November 20, 2008
Stanley Kauffmann
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
A manipulative, tearjerking thriller that, functioning as a sustained, anguished primal scream, is as emotionally devastating as any film, fiction or non-, released this year.
November 9, 2008 | Rating: A-
Nick Schager
Lessons of Darkness
TOP CRITIC
An undeniably shattering story, if forgivably shaky in its impassioned, therapeutic unfolding.
November 7, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/5
Robert Abele
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
You can almost feel the love radiating out of every frame, from a father to a son who never met, but who will touch millions in ways they never thought possible.
July 7, 2019 | Rating: 4/4
Mattie Lucas
From the Front Row
It’s one of the few films guaranteed to turn its viewers into a sobbing mess by the end, and the raw power of its story is why it still has a lasting impact with people today.
June 20, 2019
C.J. Prince
Way Too Indie
An uneven yet frequently heartbreaking documentary…
November 27, 2015 | Rating: 3/4
David Nusair
Reel Film Reviews
Tense, twisting crime docu is deeply disturbing.
April 21, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
Tracy Moore
Common Sense Media
Know as little going in as possible. The film’s tragedy predates Facebook and Twitter, but the rapid-fire way in which its memorials are edited and the scope of those offering them feels like social-network expression of grief – fast, immediate, unifying.
September 25, 2010 | Rating: 4/4
Nick Rogers
The Film Yap
A powerful home movie about real-world evil and good
July 3, 2009 | Rating: 4/4
Marty Mapes
Movie Habit…
Plot
Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father is a heart-wrenching documentary about a man’s parents fighting for custody of their grandson after their son is murdered by his ex-girlfriend, who is pregnant with his child.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
NA
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