Muscle Shoals (2013)
94%RT Audience Score: 89%
Awards & Nominations: 3 wins & 11 nominations
Essential for soul fans and entertaining for novices, Muscle Shoals offers a compelling, warts-and-all glimpse at one of the most fascinating stories in modern American music.
Muscle Shoals is like a musical time machine that takes you back to the birthplace of some of the greatest hits in history. Sure, there are some platitude-spouting rock stars hogging the commentary, but who cares when you’re grooving to the rich, elemental energy of the Muscle Shoals sound? The film does have its touch-and-go moments, but it’s worth enduring them to uncover the wealth of rock ‘n’ roll history within. Plus, any documentary that features Wilson Pickett’s Land of 1000 Dances as its opening track is a winner in my book.
Production Company(ies)
Ear Goggles
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
Huntsville, Alabama, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Rated PG for thematic elements, language, smoking and brief partial nudity
Year of Release
2013
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:NA
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Runtime:1h 51m
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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): Sep 27, 2013 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 25, 2014
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
Muscle Shoals, documentary, soul music, FAME Studios, Alabama, Percy Sledge, Aretha Franklin, Lynyrd Skynyrd, directed by Greg “Freddy” Camalier, produced by Stephen Badger, Alicia Keys, Bono, Jimmy Cliff, reviewed by Brad Newsome, Noah Berlatsky, David Hinckley, Geoffrey Macnab, Mark Kermode, Tara Brady, Jordan M Smith, Andrew Martin, Daniel Green, Megan Basham, Craig D Lindsey, PG rating, box office gross $695.6K, Magnolia Pictures, smoking, language, brief partial nudity, thematic elements, English language, 1h 51m runtime, documentary genre
Worldwide gross: $709,415
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $901,204
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,618
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 98,277
US/Canada gross: $696,241
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $884,468
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,215
US/Canada opening weekend: $13,901
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $17,659
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,556
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
Aretha Franklin – Self
Jerry Carrigan – Self
Alicia Keys – Self
Bono – Self
Jimmy Cliff – Self
Director(s)
Greg “Freddy” Camalier
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Sundance, South by Southwest
Awards & Nominations
3 wins & 11 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (87) | Top Critics (40) | Fresh (84) | Rotten (3)
It’s fitting that the first track we hear in this celebratory but emotionally dappled documentary is Wilson Pickett’s Land of 1000 Dances. The rich, elemental energy of the recording encapsulates what would become known as the Muscle Shoals sound.
February 12, 2020
Brad Newsome
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
Even with its disappointments, Muscle Shoals can’t help but make a hopeful sound.
August 28, 2019
Noah Berlatsky
The Atlantic
TOP CRITIC
Hall’s backstory, riddled with tragedy, gets the proper attention and respect here. But it’s the music that won’t let you stop watching.
April 21, 2014 | Rating: 4/5
David Hinckley
New York Daily News
TOP CRITIC
Camalier makes an excellent job of combining talking-head interviews with music, anecdotes and folklore.
December 30, 2013 | Rating: 3/5
Geoffrey Macnab
Independent (UK)
TOP CRITIC
A galaxy of stars recall the magic of it all, although a little less boring Bono would have been a bonus.
October 28, 2013 | Rating: 4/5
Mark Kermode
Observer (UK)
TOP CRITIC
And lo, the musical miscegenation was good.
October 25, 2013 | Rating: 3/5
Tara Brady
Irish Times
TOP CRITIC
There is no doubt a variety of editorially rhythmic issues breakdown the musical flow of Muscle Shoals, but endure the touch and go structure and you’ll find a wealth of rock ‘n’ roll history within.
November 4, 2020 | Rating: 2.5/5
Jordan M. Smith
IONCINEMA.com
There is an over-reliance on commentary by platitude-spouting rock stars…but the film’s great virtue is that it will introduce and remind viewers of the wonderfully varied trove of music that came out of these studios.
March 13, 2019
Andrew Martin
The New York Review of Books
It’s the music here that shines brightest, and for fans of any of the artists involved, there’s more than enough great content on show here to get feet tapping and hearts thumping.
March 5, 2019 | Rating: 3/5
Daniel Green
CineVue
The movie doesn’t mention the contemporary Christian or gospel albums recorded at his studio. But what’s there is so uplifting it’s still well worth your time.
September 6, 2018
Megan Basham
WORLD
An occasionally doleful but otherwise lively trip, Muscle Shoals is yet another cinematic shout-out to those unsung heroes who came out of nowhere and made music that mattered.
October 25, 2017 | Rating: 3/4
Craig D. Lindsey
INDY Week
Camalier’s tuneful if somewhat overlong anecdotal history does the most justice to the Muscle Shoals sound just by listening to it.
February 4, 2014
Jonathan Kiefer
SF Weekly…
Plot
Located alongside the Tennessee River, Muscle Shoals, Alabama is the unlikely breeding ground for some of America’s most creative and defiant music. Under the spiritual influence of the ‘Singing River’ as Native Americans called it, the music of Muscle Shoals changed the world and sold millions upon millions of copies. At its heart is Rick Hall who founded FAME Studios. Overcoming crushing poverty and staggering tragedies, he brought black and white together in Alabama’s cauldron of racial hostility to create music for the generations while giving birth to the ‘Muscle Shoals Sound’ and ‘The Swampers’. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Percy Sledge, Gregg Allman, Clarence Carter, Etta James, Alicia Keys, Bono, and others bear witness to Muscle Shoals’ magnetism, mystery, and why it remains influential today.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Bono makes an appearance as one of the talking heads in the documentary.
Greg-“Freddy”-Camalier.jpg
