59
Metascore
14 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 75The PlaylistKevin JagernauthThe PlaylistKevin JagernauthLess a polemic than a portrait, If You Build It celebrates the flinty spirit that spurs problem solving and creativity (sometimes at the same time) with people not dedicated to a cause, but to people.
- 70Los Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinLos Angeles TimesGary GoldsteinThe film proves not only a stirring look at education's potential to rally and invigorate but also a vital snapshot of contemporary rural America.
- 60Time OutTime OutCredit goes to Creadon for venturing beyond the classroom to look at how the teachers and students manage small victories despite limited resources.
- 60The DissolveNick SchagerThe DissolveNick SchagerUnfortunately, as with so many social-survey documentaries, the film’s macro view comes at the expense of any microcosmic depth.
- 60New York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierNew York Daily NewsJoe NeumaierThis honest and engrossing film shows how ingenuity and spark can restore excitement in education. That goal needs every helping hand it can get.
- 60The Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeThe Hollywood ReporterJohn DeForeCreadon's doc benefits substantially from these kids, resulting in a film with modest commercial appeal that should have a healthy video afterlife with activism-minded students in college and graduate programs.
- 50Slant MagazineSlant MagazineIt isn't until the rushed conclusion when director Patrick Creadon shows the possibilities of what the documentary could have been.
- 50Village VoiceDaphne HowlandVillage VoiceDaphne HowlandCreadon unveils his story in a haphazard, backwards-unfolding way.
- 50VarietyGeoff BerkshireVarietyGeoff BerkshireA bittersweet ending offers both victory and defeat, but closes on a note of hard-won optimism.
- 40The New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe New York TimesNicolas RapoldThe movie’s biggest weakness comes with its tendency to film people telling us what’s going on rather than having us observe.