SummaryIt's a shame no one wants to talk to them at parties, because obituary writers are a surprisingly funny bunch. Ten hours before newspapers hit neighborhood doorsteps—and these days, ten minutes before news hits the web—an obit writer is racing against deadline to sum up a long and newsworthy life in under 1000 words. The details of these lives ar... Read More
Directed By:Vanessa Gould
Obit
Metascore
Generally Favorable
72
User score
Generally Favorable
8.0
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Metascore
Generally Favorable
72
80% Positive
12 Reviews
12 Reviews
20% Mixed
3 Reviews
3 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
May 18, 2017
88
You might think a documentary about the obituary writers at the New York Times would be a depressing, sobering, scholarly work — but it’s anything but.
May 11, 2017
88
It is fascinating to watch the writers in “Obit” strive to do right by their subjects, warts and all.
Apr 26, 2017
75
The fascinations of Obit, Vanessa Gould’s slick but entertaining documentary about the New York Times obituary department, operate on two levels.
Apr 26, 2017
75
It’s easy to forgive it for its shortcomings, for rarely does the idea of death elicit the warmth and utter charm as it does in this documentary.
Apr 26, 2017
60
If, overall, Obit is merely pleasant in a predictable, innocuous way, it’s nonetheless well-crafted and moderately educational.
Apr 23, 2017
50
The film ascribes to a conventionally contrapuntal take on the lives of those who spend all day surrounded by death.
User score
Generally Favorable
8.0
100% Positive
4 Ratings
4 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
0% Negative
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
Nov 28, 2017
9
As "dead tree journalism" fades, it's interesting to think of how many people used to say, "I only keep subscribing to the paper because of the obits." Of course, that's only till they learn how to read them online for free. Still, almost everyone is a **** for a well-written obituary, and this documentary is a pretty good account of how one is produced at a major paper that really cares about them. Amid the sometimes amusing anecdotes from these writers who deal with death on deadline, it's good to see how seriously they take the job of summing up a person's life. We'll miss them as the process devolves to just listing various celebrities' "memorials" to the departed on Twitter.
Mar 15, 2018
7
A documentary about the obituary writers of the New York Times. What at first might seem like an unattractive subject becomes a rather entertaining work that puts a modest emphasis on a quite fascinating and rarely recognized world.
Production Company:
- Green Fuse Films
- Imperfect Films
- Mystic Artists Films Productions
- Topiary Productions
Release Date:Apr 26, 2017
Duration:1 h 33 m
Tagline:An inside look at life on the New York Times obituaries desk.
Awards
Portland International Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
International Documentary Association
• 1 Nomination
Philadelphia Film Festival
• 1 Nomination
