IMDb RATING
7.3/10
7.9K
YOUR RATING
A documentary chronicling sports legend Lance Armstrong's improbable rise and ultimate fall from grace.A documentary chronicling sports legend Lance Armstrong's improbable rise and ultimate fall from grace.A documentary chronicling sports legend Lance Armstrong's improbable rise and ultimate fall from grace.
- Nominated for 1 BAFTA Award
- 2 wins & 8 nominations total
Michael Bloomberg
- Self - NYC Mayor
- (archive footage)
Bill Clinton Jr.
- Self - Former US President
- (archive footage)
Anderson Cooper
- Self - Interviewer
- (archive footage)
Sheryl Crow
- Self - Lance's Girlfriend
- (archive footage)
Alex Gibney
- Self - Narrator
- (voice)
Tyler Hamilton
- Self - Teammate
- (archive footage)
- Director
- Writer
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaFilmmaker Alex Gibney followed Lance Armstrong for four years with the intent of chronicling his return to cycling after retirement as Armstrong tried to win his eighth Tour de France. Unexpectedly, Gibney was also there when Armstrong admitted to doping, which resulted in the film being retitled from "The Road Back" to "The Armstrong Lie."
- Quotes
Lance Armstrong: I viewed my battle with cancer as an athletic competition. But in that, you either win or you lose. When you lose, or if you lose, you die. So I took that perspective, which is a little dark, and I put it into everything I've done since then. I like to win. But more than anything, I can't stand the idea of losing, because, to me, that equals death.
- ConnectionsFeatured in At the Movies: Venice Film Festival 2013 (2013)
Featured review
Here lies the aftermath of celebrity worship culture.
I always admire the commitment of a documentarian. It feels destined for Alex Gibney to have been following Lance Armstrong just before the turn of his downfall as all his documentaries need a tinge of controversy before they're just right. A comeback film wouldn't have been as interesting as this. Perhaps it's morbid curiosity of why I'm looking into Lance Armstrong more now that the truth has broken out than when he was heroic cyclist who wasn't held back by a little cancer. What brings a man to do something like this? What was the point? The Armstrong Lie has intimate access to the disgraced icon and it's undeniable that he's compelling to watch, if sometimes repulsive. Above all, it reveals the nature of our celebrity worship culture and the power it feeds and the lives it destroys.
The documentary covers all aspects of the sport of cycling. It's quite infectious with its cinematic style and I regret watching this the day that the Tour de France was close to me but I missed it. The film gives scattered information about the basics but there's great insight into how the cheating works. The cutting makes the human drama thrilling as people try to beat Armstrong at his game. The film doesn't necessarily take a side, but he still makes you sick to your stomach when he lies through his teeth to the camera. I couldn't help but keep thinking that Ben Foster will be perfect for Stephen Frears' upcoming film. We still haven't got all the facts, especially about Armstrong's peers, and there's quite a bit about media manipulation here too which the film is a part of, but the story of a contemporary legend falling touches an aching nerve.
8/10
The documentary covers all aspects of the sport of cycling. It's quite infectious with its cinematic style and I regret watching this the day that the Tour de France was close to me but I missed it. The film gives scattered information about the basics but there's great insight into how the cheating works. The cutting makes the human drama thrilling as people try to beat Armstrong at his game. The film doesn't necessarily take a side, but he still makes you sick to your stomach when he lies through his teeth to the camera. I couldn't help but keep thinking that Ben Foster will be perfect for Stephen Frears' upcoming film. We still haven't got all the facts, especially about Armstrong's peers, and there's quite a bit about media manipulation here too which the film is a part of, but the story of a contemporary legend falling touches an aching nerve.
8/10
helpful•30
- Sergeant_Tibbs
- Jul 11, 2014
- How long is The Armstrong Lie?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Lance Armstrong: The Road Back
- Production companies
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Gross US & Canada
- $383,294
- Opening weekend US & Canada
- $28,992
- Nov 10, 2013
- Gross worldwide
- $594,394
- Runtime2 hours 4 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
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