60
Metascore
18 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- Rather than merely chronicling the events leading up to the May 17, 1954, Supreme Court decision that ordered the desegregation of public schools in the U.S., the film explores both its effect and ways in which it has fallen short in creating true equality.
- 75Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittStraightforward and informative, but overlong and repetitious.
- 70The A.V. ClubNathan RabinThe A.V. ClubNathan RabinAt once inspirational and deeply depressing, With All Deliberate Speed, directed by "Hoop Dreams" producer Peter Gilbert, is too candid and forthright about the current state of race relations to allow for the sort of cheery, unambiguous uplift favored by civil-rights documentaries.
- 70L.A. WeeklyHazel-Dawn DumpertL.A. WeeklyHazel-Dawn DumpertBy cinematic standards, not exactly scintillating stuff: The mix of archival materials, talking heads and dramatic readings is strictly PBS 101. Filmmaker Peter Gilbert's great achievement lies in his integration of disparate historical threads and voices into one steadily paced, riveting tale.
- 70Washington PostMichael O'SullivanWashington PostMichael O'SullivanGets most of its juice from listening to groups of people who were students and activists in segregated Clarendon County, S.C., and Prince Edward County, Va., during the years leading up to the case.
- 63New York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanNew York Daily NewsElizabeth WeitzmanFeeling very much like it is meant to educate students who don't understand the ruling's relevance, "Speed" doesn't boast much in the way of innovative storytelling. What it does offer is a story that still badly needs to be told.
- 60TV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghTV Guide MagazineMaitland McDonaghThe film's saddest contention is that five decades later American public schools remain economically segregated by economics, which too often produces classrooms whose complexions have changed little since the pre-Brown era.
- 40Village VoiceVillage VoiceWhile the filmmaker avoids a conventional episodic format driven by central characters in conflict, he hasn't created one that could keep a complex story clear.