Kurt & Courtney (1998)
61%RT Audience Score: 44%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Kurt & Courtney, a documentary that attempts to unravel the mystery surrounding the death of Kurt Cobain, falls short of its goal and instead presents a haphazard and sleazy portrayal of the rock couple. While it may be entertaining to watch, it lacks journalistic integrity and relies heavily on hearsay and conjecture. The film does, however, succeed in exposing the public relations campaign that Courtney Love has orchestrated to whitewash her image. Overall, Kurt & Courtney is a muddled and unconvincing attempt at investigative journalism that leaves the viewer unnerved by the distance travelled.
Kurt & Courtney is like a bad game of telephone, where the message gets more distorted with each retelling. It’s a documentary that’s more interested in sensationalism than facts, but hey, at least it’s entertaining. If you’re looking for a wild ride through the seedy underbelly of the rock world, this movie has got you covered. Just don’t expect to come away with any real answers about the tragic end of Kurt Cobain.
Production Company(ies)
Lama Films, United King Films, Rabinovich Film Fund, Cinema Project
Distributor
NA
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong language, drug references and some sexuality
Year of Release
1998
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Stereo
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Aspect ratio:1.37 : 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 (Streaming): Nov 18, 2016
Genre(s)
Documentary/Music
Keyword(s)
starring Kurt Cobain, Courtney Love, Tracey Marander, Alice Wheeler, Hank Harrison, Dylan Carlson, directed by Nick Broomfield, written by Nick Broomfield, genre: documentary, music, box office performance: $678.8K, budget: unknown, reviewed by Paul Tatara, Michael O’Sullivan, Daphne Merkin, Steven Rea, David Bianculli, Michele Greppi, Carey-Ann Pawsey, Benjamin H Smith, PJ Nabarro, Todd Anthony, David Parkinson, Leah Rozen, MPAA rating: R, produced by Nick Broomfield, Ben Silverman
Worldwide gross: $890,324
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,633,870
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,471
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 178,176
US/Canada gross: $668,228
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $1,226,293
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,138
US/Canada opening weekend: $16,835
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $30,895
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,364
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
Courtney Love – Self
Tracey Marander – Self
Alice Wheeler – Self
Hank Harrison – Self
Dylan Carlson – Self
Director(s)
Nick Broomfield
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Nick Broomfield, Ben Silverman
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (55) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (34) | Rotten (21)
Turns out that the whole movie is wobbly, a slapdash, unsure concoction of hearsay and decrepitness that does for the documentary format what shows like Hard Copy do for TV journalism. “Sleazy” isn’t the word for it.
February 9, 2018
Paul Tatara
CNN.com
TOP CRITIC
Our culture has notoriously short attention spans and memories, but Kurt and Courtney goes a long way toward undoing the meticulous public relations campaign that Love has orchestrated in an effort to whitewash her tarnished image.
April 11, 2014
Michael O’Sullivan
Washington Post
TOP CRITIC
The true circumstances of Cobain’s death remain cloudy, but one comes away from the film unnerved by the distance travelled.
April 11, 2014
Daphne Merkin
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
Kurt and Courtney is an entertaining swim through the muck of the rock underworld. But as journalism, it’s an utterly sloppy piece of work.
April 11, 2014 | Rating: 2.5/4
Steven Rea
Philadelphia Inquirer
TOP CRITIC
We do get a strong sense that Love is a loose cannon with a short fuse. But in a freewheeling documentary about a drug-addled rock-star couple that hardly qualifies as a news flash.
April 11, 2014 | Rating: 1.5/4
David Bianculli
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
It would be one mondo bizarro freak show but for the participation of some who clearly cared for the troubled young Cobain.
April 11, 2014
Michele Greppi
New York Post
TOP CRITIC
Does not seem very unbiased. You are left to draw your own conclusions. But it certainly is an interesting 94 minute watch.
May 15, 2020 | Rating: 3/5
Carey-Ann Pawsey
Orca Sound
Kurt & Courtney wasn’t well received upon its release and 20 years later it fares no better.
March 18, 2019
Benjamin H. Smith
Decider
The sheer eccentricity, deprivation and unreliability of the players Broomfield visits imprints that a violent end was an almost inevitable outcome to the Kurt & Courtney tale
January 27, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
PJ Nabarro
Patrick Nabarro
Simply put, the guerrilla filmmaker gives great dish.
April 11, 2014
Todd Anthony
South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Broomfield has always employed a blend of charm and innocence to expose the frailties of his subjects. But here that tactic somewhat backfires.
April 11, 2014 | Rating: 3/5
David Parkinson
Radio Times
The movie isn’t so much about Kurt or Courtney as it is about shabby lives in the shadow of fame.
April 11, 2014
Leah Rozen
People Magazine…
Plot
After rocker Kurt Cobain’s death, ruled a suicide, a film crew arrives in Seattle to make a documentary. Director Nick Broomfield talks to lots of people: Cobain’s aunt who provides home movies and recordings, the estranged father of Cobain’s widow Courtney Love, an L.A. private investigator who worked for Love, a nanny for Kurt and Courtney’s child, friends and lovers of both, and others. Although Love won’t talk to him and his inquiries lose him financial backing, he comes to believe the coroner’s verdict. Portraits emerge: a shy, slight Kurt, weary of touring, embarrassed by fame, hooked on heroin; an out-going Courtney, dramatic, controlling, moving from groupie to star.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary features interviews with Courtney Love and other figures in the music industry.
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