Release CalendarTop 250 MoviesMost Popular MoviesBrowse Movies by GenreTop Box OfficeShowtimes & TicketsMovie NewsIndia Movie Spotlight
    What's on TV & StreamingTop 250 TV ShowsMost Popular TV ShowsBrowse TV Shows by GenreTV News
    What to WatchLatest TrailersIMDb OriginalsIMDb PicksIMDb SpotlightFamily Entertainment GuideIMDb Podcasts
    OscarsCannes Film FestivalStar WarsAsian Pacific American Heritage MonthSummer Watch GuideSTARmeter AwardsAwards CentralFestival CentralAll Events
    Born TodayMost Popular CelebsCelebrity News
    Help CenterContributor ZonePolls
For Industry Professionals
  • Language
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Watchlist
Sign In
  • Fully supported
  • English (United States)
    Partially supported
  • Français (Canada)
  • Français (France)
  • Deutsch (Deutschland)
  • हिंदी (भारत)
  • Italiano (Italia)
  • Português (Brasil)
  • Español (España)
  • Español (México)
Use app
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • FAQ
IMDbPro

Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?

Original title: Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?: An Animated Conversation with Noam Chomsky
  • 2013
  • Not Rated
  • 1h 28m
IMDb RATING
7.1/10
3.8K
YOUR RATING
Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? (2013)
A series of interviews featuring linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky done in hand-drawn animation.
Play trailer1:24
1 Video
8 Photos
Science & Technology DocumentaryAnimationBiographyDocumentary

A series of interviews featuring linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky done in hand-drawn animation.A series of interviews featuring linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky done in hand-drawn animation.A series of interviews featuring linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky done in hand-drawn animation.

  • Director
    • Michel Gondry
  • Writer
    • Michel Gondry
  • Stars
    • Noam Chomsky
    • Michel Gondry
    • Richard Feynman
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    7.1/10
    3.8K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Michel Gondry
    • Writer
      • Michel Gondry
    • Stars
      • Noam Chomsky
      • Michel Gondry
      • Richard Feynman
    • 20User reviews
    • 67Critic reviews
    • 76Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 2 nominations total

    Videos1

    Theatrical Trailer
    Trailer 1:24
    Theatrical Trailer

    Photos7

    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    View Poster
    + 4
    View Poster

    Top cast5

    Edit
    Noam Chomsky
    Noam Chomsky
    • Self
    Michel Gondry
    Michel Gondry
    • Self
    Richard Feynman
    Richard Feynman
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    • (uncredited)
    Michèle Oshima
    • Self
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    Beverly S. Stohl
    • Self
    • (voice)
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Michel Gondry
    • Writer
      • Michel Gondry
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews20

    7.13.7K
    1
    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    9
    10

    Featured reviews

    strangelove89

    Chomsky answering questions for 80 minutes? I'm in.

    I mean not to sound sycophantic but any document that has noam chomsky talking for 80 minutes is a valuable one. Gondry is an awkward guy which is fun to listen. They get along well. Noam is, as always, insightful and inspiring.
    10rzajac

    Perfect for What It Is

    This is a fantastic, intelligent wedding of word and image. It's like a genuine synthesthetic experience, like the animator wanted us to have a cogent, dependable hallucination of Chomsky's brilliant, eloquent statements. From time to time I would sort of "forget" whether I was hearing Chomsky or seeing what he was saying; they sometimes switched places... or (perhaps more accurately) truly merged in my mind, like finally having the image of one of those 3D "art" images pop out at you when your eyes finally settle into the correct parallax and focus mix. I found that when I was relaxed and letting the flow of ideation wash over me, my experience was "of a piece"; almost psychedelically.

    What can I say? It's just a lovely way to mainline a genius' thinking; the filmmaker succeeds in his quest to enhance and tease out the intuitive aspects to technical/scientific thinking; and that's downright inspirational!

    Check it out.

    --------Addendum

    Just want to add one more point. As much as I find Chomsky's politics to be vital and morally attuned, it STILL strikes me as a great artistic decision on the part of Gondry to 1) minimize the politics, 2) put them off 'til (largely) the end, and 3) subsume them to the task of conveying warmth (not urgency). You get a measured, requisite dose of Chomsky's politics, *without* the overwhelming sense one often gets with Chomsky that, up against so much troglodytic inertia, the task truly daunts. Bravo.
    7Imdbidia

    Worth watching but irritating at times

    Gondry, a visionary whimsical director and director of some of my favorite movies ever, and Chomsky, one of the most important thinkers and linguists of the last century, and one of the 'idols' of my youth, sit face to face and talk about stuff. What could go wrong? A lot!

    Gondry is an artist, not a linguist or a scientist, so I wasn't expecting him to be at Chomsky's level on what Chomsky knows best: linguistics and cognitive science. However, he does a good job at extracting some juice about many personal matters as well as a general discussion on Chomsky's themes. The conversation is not a chit-chat for sure, the subjects discussed are complex and need of your full attention, unless you are a linguist and familiar with those. The naive animation is whimsical and humorous, hilarious at times, sentimental at others, surreal at others, but very engaging; without the animation, I might have been watching my watch as much as the movie. Besides, the animation was really on point quite often, and Gondry is able to get onto animation difficult concepts, quite abstract at times, and make them look simple for us. When Chomsky relaxes, he seems to be a nice man, and it was lovely getting to know a bit about his family background and personal life, the human behind the brain. Finally, I also loved the introduction made by Gondry on how a documentary or a film about a person is the film-maker's filtered version of a given subject or person as the film-maker decides what goes on and what doesn't in a film, how a person is portrayed etc.

    A few things irritated me or disappointed me in the film. The first is Chomsky's attitude at times, arrogant and elitist, who doesn't listen to Gondry. I found ironic that he, the quintessential linguist, had difficulty understanding that Gondry's mother tongue not being English, there were some semantic confusion of misinterpretation on his part, and that Gondry wanted to explain himself properly; however, every time he did so, Chomsky cut him sharply.Also, I expect Chomsky not to act as God, as this is not an academic symposium but a documentary for the general public. Several times in the film, he says "and that is wrong" and doesn't explain why is wrong, and moves on expecting us, the viewers, to get what he means by magic!

    The second thing that annoyed me was the fact that Politics were left off the movie, except for a brief comment on Sarkozy. This was never going to be a film for the Masses, or the sort of film that attracts ultraconservative viewers, so why skipping Politics altogether?

    Finally, Gondry himself irritated me a bit. I love his work, his vision, the fact that he doesn't take himself too seriously, and his endless curiosity and creativity. However, at times, I felt the film was as much about himself as was about Chomsky, and there was not need for that. Chomsky is not the Kardashians, he doesn't do this sort of stuff that often, why wasting time on Gondry's personal musings? I also found surprising that Gondry didn't discuss or establish which sort of questions were off the charts beforehand, because it's a bit painful hearing him asking Chomsky how he felt about his wife's death (can't you imagine that?) or what makes him happy.

    Overall, a fascinating film that requires of your full attention, but it is rewarding, never boring, and offers an insight, albeit limited, into Chomsky the real man and some fascinating subjects as the way we humans apprehend reality.
    7gavin6942

    A Bit of a Jumble

    A series of interviews featuring linguist, philosopher and activist Noam Chomsky done in hand-drawn animation.

    Because of Gondry's accent, and at times because of Chomsky's age, the discussion is a bit difficult to understand, and you have to focus. Interestingly, there is a communication breakdown between Gondry and Chomsky, as well, because of translation and pronunciation issues.

    The film is part biographical, part about language acquisition. There is no discussion of politics, which is probably good, because it makes this a much more timeless presentation.

    There is mention of "irreducible complexity", which seemed odd, and then Gondry mentions astrology? He seems to be a bit out of his league at times. At least he was able to get Chomsky to talk about his wife Carol, which has been a sensitive topic.
    9jlevine5

    A Must See for Anyone Interested in the Creative Process

    While Mr. Gondry's accent took a little getting used to, the effort was well worth it. I applaud Mr. Gondry's creativity in presenting Chomsky's ideas about science and philosophy and the doggedness he exhibited in certain instances in delving into the meaning of Chomsky's notions about how we learn and think. The use of animation transformed what for some may have been a droll lecture into a lively and interesting narrative about philosophy, religion, and of course linguistics. I also applaud Gondry's decision not to focus on Chomsky's radical and divisive political views, which would have only detracted from his views about philosophy, science, linguistics and religion. I recommend the film to anyone who is interested in learning about the type of mind-set necessary to think clearly and originally and to make sense of how the world works.

    More like this

    The Science of Sleep
    7.2
    The Science of Sleep
    Microbe & Gasoline
    6.7
    Microbe & Gasoline
    Mood Indigo
    6.5
    Mood Indigo
    Human Nature
    6.4
    Human Nature
    The Thorn in the Heart
    6.1
    The Thorn in the Heart
    The We and the I
    6.1
    The We and the I
    Memories of Underdevelopment
    7.6
    Memories of Underdevelopment
    Phase IV
    6.4
    Phase IV
    The Book of Solutions
    6.1
    The Book of Solutions
    Gonzo
    7.6
    Gonzo
    Be Kind Rewind
    6.4
    Be Kind Rewind
    Deliver Us from Evil
    7.9
    Deliver Us from Evil

    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Most of the film is framed in 4:3. However, some sequences extend beyond this.
    • Connections
      Referenced in Film Junk Podcast: Episode 446: The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug (2013)
    • Soundtracks
      Clarinet Quintet: I ANDANTE
      Written by Howard Skempton

      Performed by Birmingham Contemporary Music Group

    Top picks

    Sign in to rate and Watchlist for personalized recommendations
    Sign in

    FAQ15

    • How long is Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy??Powered by Alexa

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 25, 2013 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • France
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy?: An Animated Conversation with Noam Chomsky
    • Production company
      • Partizan Films
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $137,042
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $31,800
      • Nov 24, 2013
    • Gross worldwide
      • $137,042
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 28 minutes
    • Color
      • Color

    Related news

    Contribute to this page

    Suggest an edit or add missing content
    Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? (2013)
    Top Gap
    By what name was Is the Man Who Is Tall Happy? (2013) officially released in Canada in English?
    Answer
    • See more gaps
    • Learn more about contributing
    Edit page

    More to explore

    Recently viewed

    Please enable browser cookies to use this feature. Learn more.
    Get the IMDb app
    Sign in for more accessSign in for more access
    Follow IMDb on social
    Get the IMDb app
    For Android and iOS
    Get the IMDb app
    • Help
    • Site Index
    • IMDbPro
    • Box Office Mojo
    • License IMDb Data
    • Press Room
    • Advertising
    • Jobs
    • Conditions of Use
    • Privacy Policy
    • Your Ads Privacy Choices
    IMDb, an Amazon company

    © 1990-2025 by IMDb.com, Inc.