Sing Your Song (2012)
88%RT Audience Score: 79%
Awards & Nominations: 5 wins & 2 nominations
Sing Your Song takes an absorbing — if decidedly non-critical — look at an incredible show business career and admirable public life
Sing Your Song is a documentary that tells the story of Harry Belafonte’s life and his contributions to the civil rights movement. While some critics found it to be a bit heavy-handed, I found it to be a fabulous and fascinating look at a man who has always had the courage of his convictions. With Belafonte narrating his own story, it feels like a personal memoir that takes you on a journey through his life and the times that were, and hopefully still are, a-changin’. Plus, who doesn’t love a good archival footage montage? Sing Your Song is definitely worth a watch.
Production Company(ies)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,
Distributor
S2BN Films
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2012
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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 43m
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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): Jan 13, 2012 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): May 29, 2012
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
Keyword(s)
starring Harry Belafonte, Sidney Poitier, Marge Champion, Julian Bond, George Schlatter, Diahann Carroll, directed by Susanne Rostock, written by Susanne Rostock, Gina Belafonte, Jim Brown, Michael Cohl, William Eigen, Julius R Nasso, documentary, biography, music, box office gross $47.7K, S2BN Films, MPAA rating N/A, reviewed by Hank Stuever, Verne Gay, Ed Bark, Matthew Gilbert, David Wiegand, Linda Stasi, Sophia Satchell Baeza, Graham Young, Philip French, Allan Hunter, Shaun Munro, Rich Cline, produced by Gina Belafonte, Jim Brown, Michael Cohl, William Eigen, Julius R Nasso
Worldwide gross: $65,310
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $84,199
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 3,041
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 9,182
US/Canada gross: $47,718
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $61,519
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,730
US/Canada opening weekend: $13,459
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $17,352
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,562
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
Sidney Poitier – self
Marge Champion – self
Julian Bond – self
George Schlatter – self
Diahann Carroll – self
Gina Belafonte – producer
Jim Brown – producer
Michael Cohl – producer
William Eigen – producer
Julius R. Nasso – producer
Susanne Rostock – director
Director(s)
Susanne Rostock
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Gina Belafonte, Jim Brown, Michael Cohl, William Eigen, Julius R. Nasso
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
5 wins & 2 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (40) | Top Critics (25) | Fresh (38) | Rotten (2)
Sing Your Song is broad and complete, but like most biographical documentaries of legendary performers that we’ve seen of late, it is also hagiographic.
August 30, 2012
Hank Stuever
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
By far the best parts are the first two-thirds, with the star taking center stage in history as it unfolds.
August 30, 2012 | Rating: B
Verne Gay
Newsday
TOP CRITIC
Abundant archival footage is in part a saving grace.
August 30, 2012 | Rating: B
Ed Bark
Uncle Barky
TOP CRITIC
Sing Your Song is beautifully directed by Susanne Rostock to be as much about the man as it is about his times.
August 30, 2012
Matthew Gilbert
Boston Globe
TOP CRITIC
The portrait of Belafonte that emerges from the film is also the portrait of the times of his life, the times of the nation’s life in the past 60 years.
August 30, 2012 | Rating: 4/4
David Wiegand
San Francisco Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
With excerpts of early clips of his first roles, to current interviews with him, the movie details a life of tremendous creativity and courage.
August 30, 2012 | Rating: 4/4
Linda Stasi
New York Post
TOP CRITIC
This is a fabulous documentary about a man and the times that were, and hopefully still are, a-changin’.
January 8, 2019 | Rating: 4/5
Sophia Satchell Baeza
CineVue
With Belafonte narrating his own story, Sing Your Song increasingly feels more like a personal memoir than objective insight.
June 29, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Graham Young
Birmingham Mail
[Belafonte] emerges at the end as a man of bravery and probity, a formidable contributor and witness to his times.
June 10, 2012
Philip French
Observer (UK)
This is a fascinating portrait of a man who has always had the courage of his convictions.
June 8, 2012 | Rating: 4/5
Allan Hunter
Daily Express (UK)
The man has lived an incredible life, and this comprehensive doc conveys that in compelling fashion.
June 8, 2012 | Rating: 3.5/5
Shaun Munro
What Culture
While it’s fascinating, it feels a bit heavy-handed.
June 7, 2012 | Rating: 3.5/5
Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall…
Plot
Sing Your Song is a documentary about the life and career of Harry Belafonte, from his rise to fame as a singer and actor to his work as a social activist.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features Harry Belafonte narrating his own story.
Susanne-Rostock.jpg
