No Impact Man: The Documentary (2009)
82%RT Audience Score: 75%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win
Half enviro-saving doc, half publicity stunt, No Impact Man is inspiring and fun to both casual activists and hardcore recyclers
No Impact Man is like watching a train wreck, but instead of a train, it’s a family trying to live sustainably in New York City. While some critics found it gimmicky and cliched, I found it hilarious and relatable. Who hasn’t tried to make their own deodorant or compost their own waste? The real star of the show is Michelle, who gamely goes along with her husband’s crazy experiment, but still sneaks ice from work when his homemade cooler fails. Overall, No Impact Man is a fun and thought-provoking look at sustainable living, even if it does make you want to take a long, hot shower afterwards.
Production Company(ies)
New Regency Productions, The Wolper Organization Warner Bros.,
Distributor
Oscilloscope Pictures
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
New York City, New York, USA
MPAA / Certificate
Not Rated
Year of Release
2010
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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 32m
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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 11, 2009 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 19, 2010
Genre(s)
Documentary
Keyword(s)
No Impact Man, documentary, Colin Beavan, Laura Gabbert, Justin Schein, environmentalism, sustainability, green living, family, sacrifice, activism, publicity stunt, inspiring, fun, casual activists, hardcore recyclers, critic reviews, Nicolas Rapold, Peter Bradshaw, Tom Seymour, David Gritten, Patrick Peters, Marjorie Baumgarten, Siobhan Synnot, Sophie Ivan, David Parkinson, Sean Axmaker, Andrea Chase, Keith Cohen, audience reviews, Júnior D, Jim H, Jake, Walter M, Lemon Tree, Planet B-Boy, Up the Yangtze, Collapse, box office, gross USA, budget, MPAA rating, distributor, Oscilloscope Pictures, producer, reviewed by, directed by, written by
Worldwide gross: $116,349
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $158,163
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,969
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 17,248
US/Canada gross: $100,028
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $135,977
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,615
US/Canada opening weekend: $15,215
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $20,683
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 2,503
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
Laura Gabbert – Director
Justin Schein – Director
Director(s)
Laura Gabbert, Justin Schein
Writer(s)
NA
Producer(s)
NA
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
1 win
Academy Awards
All Critics (48) | Top Critics (22) | Fresh (40) | Rotten (8)
November 17, 2011 | Rating: 2/5
Nicolas Rapold
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
It advances important and laudable ideas, but in a cliched, gimmicky way.
September 2, 2010 | Rating: 2/5
Peter Bradshaw
Guardian
TOP CRITIC
It doesn’t sound like fun, and it isn’t fun to watch.
September 2, 2010 | Rating: 1/5
Tom Seymour
Little White Lies
TOP CRITIC
Amiable enough, though it resembles a marketing tool for Beavan’s book about his project.
September 2, 2010 | Rating: 2/5
David Gritten
Daily Telegraph (UK)
TOP CRITIC
An intriguing documentary offering trial and experiment.
September 1, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
Patrick Peters
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
No Impact Man is certain to raise questions among viewers – questions about the Beavans, questions about ourselves, questions about degrees of sustainability. And asking questions is what it’s all about, isn’t it?
October 30, 2009 | Rating: 3/5
Marjorie Baumgarten
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Whether gamely playing cards by candlelight or sneaking ice from her workplace fridge when Colin’s homemade cooler fails, Michelle is the real star here, emotionally and dramatically.
October 25, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
Siobhan Synnot
Scotsman
As pure entertainment, No Impact Man seesaws between infuriating and captivating, but gains undeniable brownie points for its light-hearted examination of sustainable living.
September 9, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
Sophie Ivan
Film4
While the hero may be resistible, this still makes for compelling viewing.
September 2, 2010 | Rating: 3/5
David Parkinson
Radio Times
Where the stunt ends and experiment begins is hard to tell…
January 18, 2010
Sean Axmaker
Seanax.com
what he and his family learned that they could do without and do without as a way of enriching their lives is both provocative and enviable
November 16, 2009 | Rating: 5/5
Andrea Chase
Killer Movie Reviews
This curiosity piece should stimulate interesting conversations about the lessons learned from the viewing experience.
October 16, 2009 | Rating: 3/4
Keith Cohen
Entertainment Spectrum…
Plot
Follow the Manhattan-based Beavan family as they abandon their high consumption 5th Avenue lifestyle and try to live a year while making no net environmental impact.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
Fresh kernels critic reviews for No Impact Man mention the “irrelevant conversations on pregnancy” and praise the “real star” of the documentary, Colin Beavan’s wife Michelle.
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