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IMDbPro

Amazing Grace

  • 20182018
  • GG
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
4.6K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
22,094
263
Aretha Franklin in Amazing Grace (2018)
A documentary presenting Aretha Franklin with choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles in January 1972.
Play trailer2:10
1 Video
22 Photos
DocumentaryMusic
A documentary presenting Aretha Franklin with choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles in January 1972.A documentary presenting Aretha Franklin with choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles in January 1972.A documentary presenting Aretha Franklin with choir at the New Bethel Baptist Church in Watts, Los Angeles in January 1972.
IMDb RATING
7.5/10
4.6K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
22,094
263
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Directors
      • Alan Elliott(realized by)
      • Sydney Pollack(uncredited)
    • Stars
      • Aretha Franklin(archive footage)
      • James Cleveland(archive footage)
      • Alexander Hamilton(archive footage)
    Top credits
    • Directors
      • Alan Elliott(realized by)
      • Sydney Pollack(uncredited)
    • Stars
      • Aretha Franklin(archive footage)
      • James Cleveland(archive footage)
      • Alexander Hamilton(archive footage)
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 39User reviews
    • 98Critic reviews
    • 94Metascore
    • Awards
      • 2 wins & 15 nominations

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 2:10
    Official Trailer

    Photos22

    Benedict Cumberbatch at an event for Amazing Grace (2018)
    Amazing Grace (2018)
    Amazing Grace (2018)
    Amazing Grace (2018)
    Amazing Grace (2018)
    Aretha Franklin and C.L. Franklin in Amazing Grace (2018)
    Aretha Franklin in Amazing Grace (2018)
    Aretha Franklin in Amazing Grace (2018)
    Aretha Franklin in Amazing Grace (2018)
    Aretha Franklin in Amazing Grace (2018)
    Aretha Franklin in Amazing Grace (2018)
    Aretha Franklin in Amazing Grace (2018)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Aretha Franklin
    Aretha Franklin
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    James Cleveland
    • Self
    • (archive footage)
    Alexander Hamilton
    • Self - Choir Director
    • (archive footage)
    Cornell Dupree
    • Self - Guitar
    • (archive footage)
    Kenny Luper
    • Self - Organ
    • (archive footage)
    Poncho Morales
    • Self - Percussion
    • (archive footage)
    Bernard Pretty Purdie
    • Self - Drums
    • (archive footage)
    • (as Bernard Purdie)
    Chuck Rainey
    • Self - Bass
    • (archive footage)
    Christine Adams
    • Self - The Southern California Community Choir
    • (archive footage)
    Alonzo Atkins
    • Self - The Southern California Community Choir
    • (archive footage)
    Lucy Ayers
    • Self - The Southern California Community Choir
    • (archive footage)
    James A. Broomfield
    • Self - The Southern California Community Choir
    • (archive footage)
    Eugene Bryant
    • Self - The Southern California Community Choir
    • (archive footage)
    Syndrul Drahe
    • Themselves - The Southern California Community Choir
    • (archive footage)
    Mary Ann Hall
    • Self - The Southern California Community Choir
    • (archive footage)
    Margerie Luper
    • Self - The Southern California Community Choir
    • (archive footage)
    Charles May
    • Self - The Southern California Community Choir
    • (archive footage)
    Esther McIsaac
    • Self - The Southern California Community Choir
    • (archive footage)
    • Directors
      • Alan Elliott(realized by)
      • Sydney Pollack(uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Sydney Pollack was totally inexperienced in shooting music documentary and shot without clapper boards snapping shut at the beginning of each take to help synchronize sound and picture in post-production. As a result of this mistake, even after months of work by experts, the 20 hours of footage couldn't be synchronized with the audio tracks. The choir director from the Watts recordings was brought in to try to lip-read the reels, but after months of work, only about 150 minutes of footage had been matched with sound, none of it adding up to a complete, useable song. Deadlines passed as the "Amazing Grace" album came out in June 1972, selling millions with no synergy. In August, Warner Bros. officially wrote off and shelved the movie. Pollack never gave up on the project, but constantly had other commitments. In 2007, dying of cancer, Pollack finally handed the documentary project over to producer and music enthusiast Alan Elliott.
    • Quotes

      Rev. Franklin: I went in the cleaners one day in Detroit to pick up some clothes, and Aretha had appeared on a recent television show. And she told me, "I saw your daughter Aretha last night." I said, "Yes? How did you like it?" She said, "It was all right. But I'll be glad when she comes back to the church." I said, "Listen baby, let me tell you something. If you want to know the truth, she has never left the church."

    • Crazy credits
      The film concludes with a 1972-era Warner Bros. ending card, even though WB technically no longer has any ties to the film, to suggest how it would have played out had the project been completed and released when initially intended.
    • Connections
      Featured in Mark Kermode's Secrets of Cinema: Pop Music Movies (2021)
    • Soundtracks
      Amazing Grace
      Traditional

      Sung by Aretha Franklin

    User reviews39

    Review
    Top review
    10/10
    Amazing Indeed
    I saw this at the Berlin International Film Festival where the film celebrated its Europe premiere. I don´t remember having such a great time in a cinema ever. This film is so alive and full of joy it makes you tear up. If you can absolutely go watch this in a cinema full of people. One of the best film experiences I ever had!
    helpful•29
    1
    • p-stuemke
    • Mar 1, 2019

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • April 5, 2019 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Official site
      • Official site (Japan)
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Чудова ласка
    • Filming locations
      • New Temple Missionary Baptist Church, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production companies
      • 40 Acres & A Mule Filmworks
      • Al's Records And Tapes
      • Rampant
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $4,450,456
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $57,353
      • Dec 9, 2018
    • Gross worldwide
      • $7,796,112
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 29 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

    Related news

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