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IMDbPro

Dick Johnson Is Dead

  • 20202020
  • PG-13PG-13
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
6.9K
YOUR RATING
Dick Johnson in Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
A lifetime of making documentaries has convinced award-winning filmmaker Kirsten Johnson of the power of the real. But now she’s ready to use every escapist movie-making trick in the book - staging inventive and fantastical ways for her 86-year-old psychiatrist father to die while hoping that cinema might help her bend time, laugh at pain and keep her father alive forever. The darkly funny and wildly imaginative DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD is a love letter from a daughter to a father, creatively blending fact and fiction to create a celebratory exploration of how movies give us the tools to grapple with life’s profundity. DICK JOHNSON IS DEAD was filmed, produced and directed by Kirsten Johnson (Cameraperson), produced by Katy Chevigny and Marilyn Ness, co-produced by Maureen A. Ryan and executive produced by Megan Ellison.
Play trailer1:48
2 Videos
18 Photos
DocumentaryBiographyDrama
A daughter helps her father prepare for the end of his life.A daughter helps her father prepare for the end of his life.A daughter helps her father prepare for the end of his life.
IMDb RATING
7.4/10
6.9K
YOUR RATING
    • Kirsten Johnson
    • Nels Bangerter
    • Kirsten Johnson
  • Stars
    • Michael Hilow
    • Ana Hoffman
    • Dick Johnson
    • Kirsten Johnson
    • Nels Bangerter
    • Kirsten Johnson
  • Stars
    • Michael Hilow
    • Ana Hoffman
    • Dick Johnson
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 30User reviews
    • 62Critic reviews
    • 89Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Primetime Emmy

    Videos2

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:48
    Watch Official Trailer
    Dick Johnson Is Dead
    Trailer 1:50
    Watch Dick Johnson Is Dead

    Photos18

    Kirsten Johnson at an event for Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
    Kirsten Johnson at an event for Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
    Dick Johnson in Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
    Dick Johnson in Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
    Dick Johnson in Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
    Dick Johnson in Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
    Dick Johnson in Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
    Kirsten Johnson and Dick Johnson in Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
    Dick Johnson in Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
    Dick Johnson in Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
    Dick Johnson in Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)
    Dick Johnson in Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Michael Hilow
    Michael Hilow
    • Consultant
    Ana Hoffman
    Ana Hoffman
    • Backup Singer
    Dick Johnson
    Dick Johnson
    • Self
    Kirsten Johnson
    Kirsten Johnson
    • Self
    Chad Knorr
    Chad Knorr
    • Construction worker
    Kevin Loreque
    Kevin Loreque
    • Buster Keaton
    Vasthy Mompoint
    Vasthy Mompoint
    • Backup Singer
    Mary Page Nance
    Mary Page Nance
    • Katie Jo
    Ira Sachs
    Ira Sachs
    • Self
    Nicole Tio
    Nicole Tio
    • Backup Singer
      • Kirsten Johnson
      • Nels Bangerter
      • Kirsten Johnson
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When Kirsten Johnson pitched the idea to her father, she asked him, "Dad, what if we make a movie where we kill you over and over again until you really die? And he laughed".
    • Connections
      Features Nova: Day the Dinosaurs Died (2017)
    • Soundtracks
      Gloria in Excelsis Deo
      Written by Antonio Vivaldi (as Antonio Lucio Vivaldi)

      Arranged by Andrea Montepaone

      Courtesy of Spirit Production Music

    User reviews30

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    death march
    Greetings again from the darkness. Hal Ashby's 1971 cult classic HAROLD AND MAUDE takes a comical look at death, and in the process shows us the importance of living, and the jolt delivered by dying. Documentarian Kirsten Johnson (CAMERAPERSON, 2016) makes this a more personal project by involving her dad in a series of staged deaths for her film. Initially the purpose was to help him begin to deal with an end that could be coming soon, but it evolved into something altogether different.

    Dick Johnson is an elderly psychiatrist. He's a charming and lively man, boasting a nice sense of humor and a twinkle in his eye. His daughter Kristen is "a camera person", and suggests to him that they make a film about him dying. He's on board. Kristen then stages various "deaths" for her father. These scenes include getting crushed by a falling air-conditioner, getting hit by a car, taking a horrific fall down stairs, and a construction site mishap. The more we get to know Dick, the more we like him. We learn it's been 30 years since he had a heart attack, and 7 years since his wife died. She suffered from Alzheimer's for years before she passed. We learn he's a Seventh Day Adventist, and loves chocolate fudge cake. My how he loves chocolate cake.

    Initially gung-ho for his daughter's idea, and fully supportive of the situations she puts him in for her art, Dick begins to show signs of forgetfulness and confusion. At times we have our doubts that he fully comprehends what's happening - not just in the film, but in everyday life. The comical elements shift to wistfulness, as we are present when Dick has to shut down his practice, sell his car, and ultimately box up his belongings and move out of his beloved home. Kristen moves him to her one bedroom New York City apartment, which is right next door to that of the two fathers of her children.

    In addition to the staged deaths, we also meet a stuntman who gets involved, and we are on set for the filming of Dick's "Heaven" which includes chocolate and popcorn, and his "Last Supper" featuring, among others, Bruce Lee, Frieda Kahlo, Farrah Fawcett, and Frederick Douglass. There is also a family trip to a beach in Lisbon, and a reunion with Dick's college girlfriend in California. The strangest bit is the staged funeral, replete with Dick in a coffin, and friends offering tributes. We also celebrate Dick's 86th birthday, and see many family pictures and home videos.

    Leonardo da Vinci is quoted: "As a well spent day brings happy sleep, so life well used brings happy death."

    Watching Dick's spirit fade along with his memory is anything but happy. His daughter Kristen tries to remain sensitive to his changing state, but the feeling we are left with is anything but happiness towards death. Her film is likely structured much differently than she originally intended, but has so much value for discussion with loved ones and a reminder of just how precious life is for those who appreciate it. Now showing on Netflix
    helpful•9
    3
    • ferguson-6
    • Jan 6, 2021

    Details

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    • Release date
      • October 2, 2020 (United States)
      • United States
      • Official Netflix
      • Official site
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Seattle, Washington, USA
    • Production company
      • Big Mouth Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • 1 hour 29 minutes
      • Color
      • Dolby Digital

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