Keep On Keepin’ On (2014)
93%RT Audience Score: 88%
Awards & Nominations: 14 wins & 8 nominations
Offering keen observations and infectious warmth, Keep On Keepin’ On is a joy for jazz buffs and novices alike.
Keep On Keepin’ On” is a documentary that will make you want to pick up a trumpet and start jamming with the pros. It’s a heartwarming story about the friendship between a legendary trumpeter and a blind pianist he mentored. The film captures the essence of jazz and the power of music to bring people together. You’ll be tapping your feet and nodding your head to the infectious beats of the jazz tunes. It’s a must-watch for anyone who loves music and wants to be inspired by the resilience and joy of life. Keep on keepin’ on, indeed!
Production Company(ies)
Absolute Clay Productions, Quincy Jones Productions, Shadow Catcher Entertainment,
Distributor
Radius TWC
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some language
Year of Release
2015
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 26m
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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): Sep 19, 2014 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 13, 2015
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
jazz, mentorship, music, documentary, Clark Terry, Quincy Jones, Miles Davis, Alan Hicks, Davis Coombe, Paula Dupré Pesmen, John Caulkins, Karl Kister, R rating, box office, budget, reviewed by Wesley Morris, Philippa Hawker, Ty Burr, Dan DeLuca, Brad Wheeler, Linda Barnard, Allen Almachar, Michael J Casey, Morgan Rojas, Pat Padua, Tom Clift, directed by Alan Hicks, produced by Paula Dupré Pesmen, Quincy Jones, John Caulkins, Karl Kister, written by Davis Coombe, Alan Hicks, Radius TWC, 1h 26m, English, blindness, pianist, stage fright, jazz buffs, novices, audience score, Tomatometer, documentary film, inspiring, friendship, music industry, jazz legends, multi-generational, heart-tugging, three-handkerchief crowd pleaser, infectious warmth, keen observations, joy, passing of a musical torch, buddy movie, happiest sounds in the history of jazz, artistry of jazz, musical pleasures, generous spirit of friendship, resilient, joyful, life’s trials
Worldwide gross: $163,745
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $204,398
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,928
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 22,290
US/Canada gross: $163,745
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $204,398
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,543
US/Canada opening weekend: $12,930
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $16,140
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,582
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
Davis Coombe – Screenwriter
Alan Hicks – Screenwriter
Paula Dupré Pesmen – Producer
Quincy Jones – Producer
John Caulkins – Producer
Director(s)
Alan Hicks
Writer(s)
Davis Coombe, Alan Hicks
Producer(s)
Paula Dupré Pesmen, Quincy Jones, John Caulkins, Karl Kister
Film Festivals
Tribeca, Telluride
Awards & Nominations
14 wins & 8 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (43) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (1)
[A] moving, observant documentary about the relationship between the ailing 93-year-old legend and master trumpeter Clark Terry and Justin Kauflin, a blind pianist Terry successfully mentored.
January 12, 2015
Wesley Morris
Grantland
TOP CRITIC
Terry’s enveloping warmth, wisdom and good nature give the Oscar-shortlisted documentary much of its energy.
January 12, 2015 | Rating: 3.5/5
Philippa Hawker
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
“Keep on Keepin’ On” might document the passing of a musical torch from one century to the next, but for one sticking point: The first torch plain refuses to go out.
December 4, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4
Ty Burr
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
What really makes Keep On Keepin’ On such a heart-tugging, three-handkerchief crowd pleaser is that at heart, it’s a buddy movie.
November 21, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4
Dan DeLuca
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
Terry produced some of the happiest sounds in the history of jazz; Keep on Keepin’ On keeps the smiles coming.
November 14, 2014 | Rating: 3/4
Brad Wheeler
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
As joyful as a jumping jazz riff, Keep on Keepin’ On is an inspiring story of devotion, dedication and multi-generational friendship.
November 13, 2014 | Rating: 3.5/4
Linda Barnard
Toronto Star
TOP CRITIC
Keep On Keepin’ On is all about taking the past to inform the present and enrich the future.
July 16, 2020 | Rating: A
Allen Almachar
The MacGuffin
Keep On Keepin’ On is a delight.
June 22, 2019
Michael J. Casey
Boulder Weekly
Keep On Keepin’ On is a testament to the power of music and how, in the right hands, it can truly change the world.
November 8, 2018
Morgan Rojas
Cinemacy
Keep on Keepin’ On does convey the artistry of jazz, and is full of musical pleasures. But more than that, it conveys the generous spirit of friendship, and a way of living that stays resilient and joyful in the face of life’s trials.
August 28, 2018
Pat Padua
Spectrum Culture
This infectious jazz doco will leave you feeling a little more content than Whiplash.
January 1, 2015 | Rating: 3/5
Tom Clift
Concrete Playground
One of the year’s most affecting documentaries
January 1, 2015
Robert Denerstein
Movie Habit…
Plot
First-time director/drummer from Australia, Alan Hicks, convinced his surfing mate and cinematographer, Adam Hart, to travel to the U.S. to follow and film 89-year-old jazz legend, Clark Terry (Quincy Jones’s first teacher) over four years – to document an unlikely mentorship between Terry and a driven, blind piano prodigy, Justin Kauflin, 23. Clark, now 93, mentored Miles Davis as a young musician and is among the few performers ever to have played in both Count Basie’s and Duke Ellington’s bands. In Keep On Keepin’ On, as Justin is invited to compete in an elite, international competition while battling terrible stage fright, Clark’s health takes a critical turn for the worse. Over the course of filming, Clark loses his sight, which deepens his bond with Justin. As clocks tick, we are suddenly witness to two great friends tackling the toughest challenges of their interwoven lives. The film, from the producer of The Cove and Chasing Ice, captures the passing of the torch from a cultural icon to potentially his last student, inspiring viewers in climactic, cinematic fashion.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Legendary jazz musician Clark Terry, who mentored Miles Davis and taught Quincy Jones, is the focus of the documentary Keep On Keepin’ On.
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