Metacritic Movie Ratings
The Real Dirt on Farmer John Reviews

A sample of reviews from critics across the country.

• 88

  out of 100

  Chicago Sun-TimesRoger Ebert

  This is a loving, moving, inspiring, quirky documentary that was made while the lives it records were being lived.

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• 80

  out of 100

  The New York TimesJeannette Catsoulis

  Offers one man's extraordinary life as a gateway to a larger history of tragedy and transition. It's an unflinching account of what farming takes -- and, more important, what it gives back.

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• 80

  out of 100

  Los Angeles TimesKevin Crust

  Though its title suggests an expos on Dodger Dogs, the movie is the moving, inspirational account of John Peterson's discovery of an almost divine calling in the land beneath his feet.

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• 80

  out of 100

  Village Voice

  At times, the film plays like an extended infomercial for John's new company, Angelic Organics, but the agrarian fantasy is so compelling here that the revitalization of the American family farm begins to seem not just possible, but probable.

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• 75

  out of 100

  Chicago TribuneMichael Wilmington

  In many ways, it's a painful story, but it's also full of curious triumphs and outlandish redemptions.

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• 70

  out of 100

  VarietyScott Foundas

  Examines 50-odd years in the life of its eponymous subject -- a most compelling character -- and in doing so literally provides the viewer with food for thought.

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