Being Evel (2015)
89%RT Audience Score:
Awards & Nominations: 2 wins & 1 nomination
Insightful and swiftly paced, Being Evel is an entertaining, well-crafted overview of an unforgettable character
Being Evel is a documentary that explores the life of the legendary stuntman, Evel Knievel. While some critics found the film lacking in depth, others praised it for its use of original footage and dramatic storytelling. As a non-critic, I have to say that watching Evel jump over cars and buses on his motorcycle was both thrilling and terrifying. I mean, who else would attempt to jump over the fountains at Caesars Palace? The film also delves into Evel’s personal life, including his struggles with addiction and his complicated relationships with his family. Overall, Being Evel is a fascinating look at a man who became an American icon through sheer ambition and a willingness to take risks.
Production Company(ies)
Chartoff-Winkler Productions,
Distributor
Gravitas Ventures
Release Type
Streaming, Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
TV-MA
Year of Release
2015
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:1.78 : 1
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Runtime:1h 42m
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Language(s):
-
Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Aug 21, 2015 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 1, 2015
Genre(s)
Documentary/Biography
Keyword(s)
Being Evel, documentary, biography, 1h 42m, directed by Daniel Junge, produced by Johnny Knoxville, Mat Hoffman, Brendan Kiernan, Justin Moore-Lewy, Jeff Tremaine, written by Daniel Junge, Davis Coombe, starring Evel Knievel, reviewed by Nell Minow, Bilge Ebiri, Glenn Kenny, Tom Long, Michael Rechtshaffen, Geoff Berkshire, Michael J Casey, Brent McKnight, Amie Simon, Pat Padua, Robert Roten, MPAA rating, Gravitas Ventures, box office performance, budget, daredevil, American hero, stunts, ambition, legacy, marketing, celebrity, courage, integrity, original language, English, release date, theaters, streaming, distributor, cast and crew, documentary filmmaking, tribute, Johnny Knoxville as narrator and host
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
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
Daniel Junge – Writer
Davis Coombe – Writer
Johnny Knoxville – Producer
Mat Hoffman – Producer
Daniel Junge – Producer
Director(s)
Daniel Junge
Writer(s)
Daniel Junge, Davis Coombe
Producer(s)
Johnny Knoxville, Mat Hoffman, Daniel Junge, Brendan Kiernan, Justin Moore-Lewy, Jeff Tremaine
Film Festivals
Sundance, South by Southwest
Awards & Nominations
2 wins & 1 nomination
Academy Awards
All Critics (40) | Top Critics (16) | Fresh (39) | Rotten (1)
Knievel’s legacy, for better and worse, is more clearly tied to marketing and celebrity than to courage or integrity.
August 27, 2015 | Rating: B+
Nell Minow
Movie Mom
TOP CRITIC
There was a real darkness there – behind the American flags and the fringed jackets and the fireworks – and Being Evel, to its credit, isn’t afraid to face it.
August 22, 2015
Bilge Ebiri
New York Magazine/Vulture
TOP CRITIC
It doesn’t illuminate the guy’s character beyond what’s obvious. Nor does it bestow much depth upon Knievel.
August 21, 2015 | Rating: 2.5/4
Glenn Kenny
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
“Being Evel” treads a fine line, making it clear that its subject was a heroic symbol of his times and a clear sports innovator while also acknowledging – and there’s no getting around this – that the guy was a huge jerk.
August 21, 2015 | Rating: B
Tom Long
Detroit News
TOP CRITIC
A savvy documentary that gives the granddaddy of extreme sports his due while gauging the national climate that welcomed his shrewdly timed arrival.
August 20, 2015
Michael Rechtshaffen
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Even if Daniel Junge’s documentary falls a bit short of its goal, it deserves points for trying.
August 20, 2015
Geoff Berkshire
Variety
TOP CRITIC
Gravity won many of those battles, and death won the war, but the icon seems as relevant now as it was then.
August 24, 2021 | Rating: 3.5/5
Michael J. Casey
Michael J. Cinema
Evel Knievel is awesome. That’s undeniable, so no matter what, a documentary about his life, like Being Evel, is going to be at least a decent watch.
July 5, 2020 | Rating: C+
Brent McKnight
The Last Thing I See
Being Evel is the portrait of a man who built himself up into an American Hero by sheer ambition.
March 2, 2019
Amie Simon
Three Imaginary Girls
With all the great original footage available, the documentary doesn’t take any chances, relying on a talking head format that doesn’t make the stunts any less thrilling but also doesn’t sustain much tension.
August 28, 2018 | Rating: 3/5
Pat Padua
Spectrum Culture
Junge assembled some spectacularly dramatic and telling footage that evokes an era that is no so long ago, but feels so very far away.
May 22, 2016 | Rating: 4/5
Joe Bendel
Epoch Times
Directed by Daniel Junge and produced by stunt star and actor Johnny Knoxville, who also acts as a narrator and host (also a producer) this isn’t just a documentary, it is a tribute, even though it doesn’t shy away from showing Evel’s dark side.
December 26, 2015 | Rating: B
Robert Roten
Laramie Movie Scope…
Plot
The real story behind the myth of American icon Robert ‘Evel’ Knievel and his legacy.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The documentary was produced by Johnny Knoxville, who also acts as a narrator and host.
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