SummaryOn the morning of Nov. 8, 2018, a devastating firestorm engulfed the picturesque city of Paradise, California. By the time the Camp Fire was extinguished, it had killed 85 people, displaced 50,000 residents and destroyed 95% of local structures. It was the deadliest U.S. fire in 100 years — and the worst ever in California’s history. Rebuilding P... Read More
Directed By:Ron Howard
Rebuilding Paradise
Metascore
Generally Favorable
70
User score
Generally Favorable
7.5
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Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
70
73% Positive
11 Reviews
11 Reviews
27% Mixed
4 Reviews
4 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Jul 31, 2020
88
It’s frequently gripping and finally very moving. The director’s innate decency and forthright sense of craft does justice to a painful subject — one with unexpected connections to the 2020 pandemic moment.
Jul 30, 2020
80
It brings into focus not just the painful losses of loved ones and homes, but the sheer daunting scale of logistical planning, fundraising and negotiation with bureaucracies needed to rebuild the community.
Jul 31, 2020
75
The result, a National Geographic production, is a gripping and moving story, even though it never quite lives up to its opening section, which is directed by Howard and edited (by M. Watanabe Milmore and Gladys Murphy) with such elegance and visceral power that it might be the most impressive piece of storytelling Howard has ever been associated with.
Jul 31, 2020
70
Being fortunate enough to survive a catastrophic event doesn’t necessarily protect you from future heartbreak. Rebuilding Paradise recognizes that, though it also offers some cautious optimism. This is a movie about how life goes on, in defiance of whatever may have been burned away.
Jul 30, 2020
70
Though it might seem generic in some respects, Rebuilding Paradise resonates with the moment.
Jul 30, 2020
60
Rebuilding Paradise is a movie that shows us a great deal without necessarily exploring what it shows.
Jul 30, 2020
50
An occasionally powerful, yet occasionally frustrating documentary.
User score
Generally Favorable
7.5
83% Positive
5 Ratings
5 Ratings
0% Mixed
0 Ratings
0 Ratings
17% Negative
1 Rating
1 Rating
Aug 7, 2020
10
Director Ron Howard, in a rare documentary effort, examines the impact of the deadly wildfire that destroyed nearly all of the historic California town of Paradise and the widespread fallout that has come in its wake. From terrifying footage of the fire as it burned (shot from inside the inferno) to the grim aftermath of its destruction to the valiant efforts of residents to rebuild their **** lives, this heart-wrenching yet hopeful offering details the pain and suffering experienced by virtually everyone in the community, as well as their determination to rise from the ashes (literally and figuratively) in overcoming the many obstacles hindering the town's rebirth. It's rare that a documentary will move viewers quite as profoundly as this one does, evoking both tears and joy -- and making us appreciate what we have and what we can lose in a heartbeat. Easily one of the best productions from director Howard in quite a long time, now available for first-run online streaming and limited theatrical screenings.
Production Company:
- Imagine Documentaries
- Imagine Entertainment
- National Geographic Films
Release Date:Jul 31, 2020
Duration:1 h 30 m
Rating:PG-13
Awards
Motion Picture Sound Editors, USA
• 1 Nomination
Primetime Emmy Awards
• 1 Nomination
