Startup.com (2001)
84%RT Audience Score: 73%
Awards & Nominations: 10 wins & 6 nominations
Startup.com is a documentary that offers a fascinating insight into the world of business, particularly during the dot-com boom and bust period. While some critics have criticized the film for being too short on detail, others have praised it for its ability to capture the pain and puzzlement of its principals as things fall apart. The film is a compelling and important document of this brief blip in business history, and an impromptu lesson in power, duty, and betrayal that goes well beyond traditional limitations of celluloid documentaries. Overall, Startup.com is a well-crafted fly-on-the-wall style documentary that is both entertaining and informative.
Startup.com is a documentary that’s perfect for anyone who wants to learn about the rise and fall of the dot-com era. It’s like a rollercoaster ride of emotions, with moments of excitement, confusion, and sadness. You’ll feel like you’re right there with the founders of the startup, experiencing their highs and lows. It’s a great reminder that success isn’t always guaranteed, and that sometimes, even the best ideas can fail. Plus, you’ll get a kick out of seeing how outdated technology was back in the early 2000s. Overall, it’s a must-watch for anyone who loves a good underdog story.
Production Company(ies)
Warner Bros. Pictures, Endeavor Content One Community
Distributor
Artisan Entertainment
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Highland Capital Partners – Two International Place, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for language
Year of Release
2001
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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: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): May 11, 2001 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 12, 2016
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
documentary, startup, internet revolution, friendship, rise and fall, new economy, economic realities, broken promises, sensitive storytelling, cinéma-vérité style, crisis, people involved, R rating, English language, Chris Hegedus, Jehane Noujaim, D.A Pennebaker, Frazer Pennebaker, Artisan Entertainment, surround sound, $1.3M box office, reviewed by Nell Minow, Kimberley Jones, Robert Denerstein, Roger Moore, Jason Wood, Richard Schickel, John A Nesbit, Michael Dequina, Cole Smithey, Amber Wilkinson, Vadim Rizov, Susan Tavernetti, starring Chris Hegedus, Jehane Noujaim, Rebecca Marshall, directed by Chris Hegedus, Jehane Noujaim, written by Chris Hegedus, produced by D.A Pennebaker, Frazer Pennebaker, documentary genre, Tomatometer, audience score, streaming release date, wide release date, May 11 2001
Worldwide gross: $1,830,008
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $3,084,091
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,311
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 336,324
US/Canada gross: $1,283,356
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $2,162,825
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,014
US/Canada opening weekend: $16,118
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $27,163
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,400
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
Jehane Noujaim – Director
Chris Hegedus – Executive Producer
Rebecca Marshall – Associate Producer
Jehane Noujaim – Executive Producer
D.A. Pennebaker – Producer
Director(s)
Chris Hegedus, Jehane Noujaim
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
D.A. Pennebaker, Frazer Pennebaker
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
10 wins & 6 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (94) | Top Critics (33) | Fresh (87) | Rotten (7)
Documentary best for teens interested in business.
December 28, 2010 | Rating: 4/5
Nell Minow
Common Sense Media
TOP CRITIC
March 10, 2003 | Rating: 2.5/5
Kimberley Jones
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
August 9, 2002 | Rating: B
Robert Denerstein
Denver Rocky Mountain News
TOP CRITIC
Too short of detail to really serve as an object lesson to those who follow in their footsteps.
September 14, 2001
Roger Moore
Orlando Sentinel
TOP CRITIC
Distilled from over 400 hours of filmed material, Startup.com offers continued evidence of the essential nature of the documentary format.
September 10, 2001 | Rating: 4/5
Jason Wood
BBC.com
TOP CRITIC
The pain and puzzlement of its principals as things inexorably fall apart is palpable and saddening.
June 25, 2001 | Rating: 4/5
Richard Schickel
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
puts a definitive face on this brief blip in business history
June 5, 2012 | Rating: A-
John A. Nesbit
Old School Reviews
A compelling and important document of the ‘Net’s boom and (still-continuing) bust period.
April 4, 2010 | Rating: 3.5/4
Michael Dequina
TheMovieReport.com
…an impromptu lesson in power, duty, and betrayal that goes well beyond traditional limitations of celluloid documentaries.
July 23, 2009 | Rating: B+
Cole Smithey
Daily Radar
This is a very well crafted fly-on-the-wall style documentary.
August 31, 2007 | Rating: 4/5
Amber Wilkinson
Eye for Film
June 19, 2003 | Rating: 6/10
Vadim Rizov
Movie-Vault.com
May 20, 2003 | Rating: 4/4
Susan Tavernetti
Palo Alto Weekly…
Plot
Kaleil Isaza Tuzman and Tom Herman have had a dream since they became friends at age fifteen: get rich by developing their own dot com company, in some aspect of computer technology interface. Now in their late twenties, they have now come up with the idea they believe will make their riches, namely as Tom refers to it, “parking tickets”: the company will be the on-line revenue collection interface for municipal governments. GovWorks.com came into existence in May 1999 with only an idea. The process of building the business focuses on obtaining venture capital based solely on the idea, with the actual mechanics of the website seemingly almost an afterthought, or at least one left primarily to the hired help. Regardless of the strength of the idea itself in raising this capital, another initial problem they face is what they see as non-commitment by a third partner, Kaleil’s friend Chieh Cheung. In early 2000, they do manage to go live with their product to what seems to be a promising and lucrative future. However, the success of the business is fraught with many obstacles including the competition who may have a better product or one introduced in the marketplace earlier, the whims of the economy especially as it concerns the equity market, and the fact that the business has few assets beyond intellectual capital. In addition, their personal focus is solely on the business which places a strain on their personal relationships, Tom’s with his young daughter Tia Herman, and Kaleil’s with his girlfriend Dora Glottman. Their relationship with each other is also tested as it is and always was an inequitable one – Kaleil being the self-admitted alpha dog – and one which may be usurped by business concerns.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about Startup.com, but it does mention the directors, Chris Hegedus and Jehane Noujaim.
Chris-Hegedus.jpg
