Shine a Light (2008)
83%RT Audience Score: 75%
Awards & Nominations: 4 nominations
It may offer little new for fans, but Martin Scorsese’s document of the Rolling Stones’ electrifying live show should provide satisfaction to audiences
Shine a Light is like a time machine that takes you back to the days when the Rolling Stones were still young and wild. Martin Scorsese did a great job capturing the energy and passion of the band, and even though it’s not groundbreaking, it’s still a fun ride. Watching Mick Jagger dance around like a maniac and Keith Richards shredding on his guitar is worth the price of admission alone. So, if you’re a fan of classic rock and want to relive the glory days of the Stones, Shine a Light is the perfect movie for you.
Production Company(ies)
Distributor
Paramount Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG-13 for brief strong language, drug references and smoking
Year of Release
2008
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Color:Color
Black and White -
Sound mix:DTSS DDS Dolby Digital
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:2h 2m
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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): Apr 4, 2008 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 29, 2008
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
Shine a Light, Martin Scorsese, Rolling Stones, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Ron Wood, Charlie Watts, Christina Aguilera, Jack White III, documentary, PG-13, Victoria Pearman, Michael Cohl, Zane Weiner, Steve Bing, Paramount Pictures, box office, budget, reviewed by Hank Sartin, Dave Calhoun, Jeremiah Kipp, Paul Byrnes, Evan Williams, Richard Roeper, Nando Salvá, Felicia Feaster, Micheal Compton, Kaleem Aftab, Michael Joshua Rowin, Hannah Brown, directed by Martin Scorsese, produced by Victoria Pearman, Michael Cohl, Zane Weiner, Steve Bing, written by N/A, music, concert, live performance, guest appearances, Buddy Guy, MPAA rating, drug references, brief strong language, smoking, sound mix, SDDS, DTS, Dolby SRD, aspect ratio, flat (1.85:1), Mick Jagger as himself, Keith Richards as himself, Ron Wood as himself, Charlie Watts as himself, Christina Aguilera as herself, Jack White as himself
Worldwide gross: $15,773,351
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $21,727,188
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,687
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,369,377
US/Canada gross: $5,505,267
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $7,583,295
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,690
US/Canada opening weekend: $1,488,081
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $2,049,775
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,202
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
Keith Richards – Self
Ron Wood – Self
Charlie Watts – Self
Christina Aguilera – Self
Jack White – Self
Director(s)
Martin Scorsese
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Victoria Pearman, Michael Cohl, Zane Weiner, Steve Bing
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
4 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (126) | Top Critics (44) | Fresh (108) | Rotten (18)
November 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Hank Sartin
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
November 16, 2011 | Rating: 3/5
Dave Calhoun
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
Even an average performance by the Rolling Stones isn’t boring.
July 28, 2008 | Rating: 3/4
Jeremiah Kipp
Slant Magazine
TOP CRITIC
It’s hard to imagine, I know, but Shine A Light gives us the Rolling Stones in a fresh way.
June 8, 2008
Paul Byrnes
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
As a concert film it’s among the best: intimately shot, smoothly edited, endlessly involving.
May 30, 2008 | Rating: 3.5/5
Evan Williams
The Australian
TOP CRITIC
The effect was intense and overwhelming, but I mean that in a good way.
April 7, 2008
Richard Roeper
Ebert & Roeper
TOP CRITIC
Beautifully shot… However, Shine a Light is not The Last Waltz. [Full review in Spanish]
November 6, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Nando Salvá
Cinemanía (Spain)
And what better man to memorialize the still-kicking Rolling Stones than Martin Scorsese, a spark plug of infernal energy himself, whose creative fire still burns white hot.
January 28, 2020
Felicia Feaster
Charleston City Paper
I wish the Stones had given Scorsese a little more access, but this is clearly meant to be a concert film and from that standpoint Shine a Light certainly delivers.
October 29, 2019 | Rating: B
Micheal Compton
Bowling Green Daily News
The Stones have been the subject of some great documentaries, but Scorsese makes no new discoveries here.
November 4, 2018 | Rating: 2/5
Kaleem Aftab
The List
In many ways [Shine a Light is] an unintentional funeral dance commemorating the vanished vitality and subversive potential of mainstream rock ‘n’ roll and celebrating its current utility as a nostalgic anodyne.
August 24, 2017
Michael Joshua Rowin
Stop Smiling
Shine A Light is a masterful concert film, one that will appeal to movie lovers and hardcore Stones admirers alike.
March 1, 2016 | Rating: 4/4
Hannah Brown
Jerusalem Post…
Plot
Filmmaker Martin Scorsese captures the Rolling Stones’ energetic performance at New York’s Beacon Theatre, featuring guest appearances by Buddy Guy, Christina Aguilera, and Jack White III, along with music clips and interviews from previous decades.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features guest appearances by Buddy Guy, Christina Aguilera, and Jack White III.
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