Crumb (1995)
93%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: NA
Crumb is a frank and surreal chronicle of artistic expression and family trauma, offering an unblinking gaze into the mind and work of cartoonist Robert Crumb that will endear as much as it unsettles.
Crumb is like a rollercoaster ride through the life of the legendary underground comic book artist Robert Crumb and his eccentric family. It’s a wild and unpredictable journey that will have you laughing one minute and feeling uncomfortable the next. But despite its rough edges, Crumb is an absolutely captivating and honest portrait of an artist and his family that will leave you feeling strangely moved. Plus, who doesn’t love a good dose of weirdness every now and then?
Production Company(ies)
Jalem Productions,
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics, Columbia Tristar
Release Type
Theatrical
Filming Location(s)
Vancouver International Airport, Sea Island, Richmond, British Columbia, Canada
MPAA / Certificate
PG-13
Year of Release
1989
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Stereo
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Aspect ratio:1.85 : 1
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Runtime:1h 59m
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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 21, 1994 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 9, 1999
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
starring, directed by, written by, documentary, Robert Crumb, Terry Zwigoff, Lynn O’Donnell, David Lynch, underground cartoonist, family trauma, artistic expression, vintage jazz records, troubled upbringing, philosophical opposition, hippie underground, R rating, Sony Pictures Classics, Columbia Tristar, box office, gross USA, $19.9K, critic reviews, Jonathan Rosenbaum, Manohla Dargis, Michael Sragow, Owen Gleiberman, Nell Minow, James Berardinelli, Quentin Curtis, R.L Shaffer, Sean Axmaker, James Kendrick, Christopher Long, Stan Hall, audience score, Jeffery M Anderson, San Francisco Examiner, Time magazine, Robert Hughes, cartoon artist, provocative, haunting, perverse artistic sensibility, devilishly funny, misogyny, racism, rejection of Corporate America
Worldwide gross: $10,982,364
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $26,761,517
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,586
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 2,918,377
US/Canada gross: $10,982,364
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $26,761,517
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,306
US/Canada opening weekend: $3,862,719
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $9,412,565
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 973
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
Albert Berger – Executive Producer
Lianne Halfon – Executive Producer
Lawrence Wilkinson – Executive Producer
Terry Martinelli – Producer
Lynn O’Donnell – Producer
Director(s)
Terry Zwigoff
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
Terry Martinelli, Lynn O’Donnell, David Lynch
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (44) | Top Critics (10) | Fresh (42) | Rotten (2)
The point is, even a screwball like Crumb had more workaday wisdom to get me through the night than most of what the rest of the culture was offering–or still has to offer, for that matter.
June 7, 2022 | Rating: 4/4
Jonathan Rosenbaum
Chicago Reader
TOP CRITIC
By turns hilarious and grim.
April 18, 2022
Manohla Dargis
Spin
TOP CRITIC
The movie isn’t a testimonial or a valentine. It’s unpredictable and galvanizing: an empathetic portrait of the artist that also unveils a trenchant view of an American family’s dashed illusions.
January 14, 2019
Michael Sragow
New Yorker
TOP CRITIC
September 7, 2011 | Rating: A
Owen Gleiberman
Entertainment Weekly
TOP CRITIC
April 18, 2003 | Rating: 5/5
Nell Minow
Movie Mom
TOP CRITIC
January 1, 2000 | Rating: 4/4
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
TOP CRITIC
Zwigoff’s film rarely feels exploitative, and the fascination of Crumb and his family should not disguise the director’s skill and sensitivity in marshalling his material.
December 13, 2017
Quentin Curtis
Independent on Sunday
Crumb may be rough around the edges, even occasionally tedious, but what Zwigoff manages to uncover is honest, captivating and strangely visceral.
October 14, 2010 | Rating: 9/10
R.L. Shaffer
IGN DVD
(An) offbeat and often uncomfortably revealing portrait of the legendary underground comic book artist Robert Crumb and his brothers, Maxon and Charles…
August 11, 2010
Sean Axmaker
MSN.com
an absolutely disarming documentary and one of the very best of its kind
August 10, 2010 | Rating: 4/4
James Kendrick
Q Network Film Desk
Filled with haunting images, only a few of which are created by the hand of R. Crumb.
August 7, 2010 | Rating: 8/10
Christopher Long
Movie Metropolis
Among the all-time great American documentaries.
July 1, 2010
Stan Hall
Oregonian…
Plot
Harry is the latest generation of the Crumbs, famous and extremely talented detectives. Unfortunately talent seems to have skipped a generation and Harry is reduced to “gumshoe” work at a remote branch of the Crumb detective agency. Back at headquarters, Crumb executive Elliot Draison hatches an evil plan which requires the inclusion of an incompetent detective. With Harry Crumb on the case Draison thinks everything will run fine for him. Despite his best efforts Crumb actually makes some headway in the case…
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh Kernels doesn’t provide any goofy or funny comments about the film or anyone in the cast.
Terry-Zwigoff.jpg
