Becoming Mike Nichols
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{{Infobox television
| image = Becoming Mike Nichols.jpg
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| creator =
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| director = Douglas McGrath
| starring = Mike Nichols
Jack O'Brien
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| theme_music_composer =
| music = David Lawrence
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| language = English
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| producer = Ellin Baumel
| editor = Camilla Toniolo
| cinematography = Tim Orr
| runtime = 72 minutes
| company = HBO Documentary Films
| budget =
| network = HBO
| released = {{Start date|2016|02|22}}
}}
Becoming Mike Nichols is a 2016 documentary film directed by Douglas McGrath about the life of Mike Nichols. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 29, 2016,{{Cite web|url=https://www.sundance.org/blogs/sundance-roundup--tickled-probes-an-obscure-fetish--james-franco-stars-in-11-22-63|title=Daily Roundup: Tickled Probes an Obscure Fetish, James Franco Stars in 11.22.63|website=sundance.org}} and was later broadcast on HBO on February 22, 2016.{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/feb/21/becoming-mike-nichols-hbo-documentary-director|title=Becoming Mike Nichols: new HBO film is fitting tribute to a great director|first=Charles|last=Kaiser|newspaper=The Guardian |date=February 21, 2016|via=www.theguardian.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/review/becoming-mike-nichols-sundance-review-860504|title='Becoming Mike Nichols': Sundance Review|website=The Hollywood Reporter|date=29 January 2016 }}
Participants
Production
The film contains interviews between Jack O'Brien and Mike Nichols filmed in the months before the death of Mike Nichols in 2014. The interviews were held on two nights, one with an audience and one without. Both interviews were held at the Golden Theatre in New York City where An Evening with Mike Nichols and Elaine May premiered 54 years earlier.
Release
The film premiered at the Egyptian Theater on January 29, 2016, as part of the Sundance Film Festival. It was later broadcast on HBO on February 22, 2016.
Reception
Jeremy Kinser of Sundance Institute called it a "thoroughly engaging film" that "explores Nichols unique creative process".
Guy Lodge of Variety called it an "oddly truncated overview of his early career."{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2016/film/reviews/becoming-mike-nichols-review-1201691631/|title=Sundance Film Review: 'Becoming Mike Nichols'|first1=Guy|last1=Lodge|date=January 29, 2016}}
Brian Tallerico of RogerEbert.com gave the film two and a half stars, writing that it "falls short of its potential beyond the clearly interesting source of trivia it provides".{{Cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/becoming-mike-nichols-2016|title=Becoming Mike Nichols movie review (2016) | Roger Ebert|first=Brian|last=Tallerico|website=rogerebert.com}}
Kevin Crust of the Los Angeles Times wrote that "The real value of the documentary from Douglas McGrath lies in charting Nichols’ creative trajectory".{{Cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-mini-becoming-mike-nichols-review-20160219-story.html|title=Review: 'Becoming Mike Nichols' charts director's creative arc|date=February 18, 2016|website=Los Angeles Times}}
Charles Kaiser of The Guardian called the film a "fitting tribute to a great director".
Todd McCarthy of The Hollywood Reporter called the film "A short, funny and illuminating interview-based documentary that will leave theater and film mavens satisfied and hungry for more."
Brandon Nowalk of The A.V. Club called the film "this year's second best Mike Nichols doc".{{Cite web|url=https://www.avclub.com/becoming-mike-nichols-is-this-year-s-second-best-mike-n-1798186670|title=Becoming Mike Nichols is this year's second best Mike Nichols doc|website=TV Club|date=22 February 2016 }}
John Fink of thefilmstage.com gave the film a B+, calling it "brief and engaging".{{Cite web|url=https://thefilmstage.com/review-becoming-mike-nichols/|title=[Review] Becoming Mike Nichols|first=John|last=Fink|date=February 22, 2016}}
References
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External links
- {{IMDb title|5278964}}
{{Mike Nichols}}
{{Douglas McGrath}}
Category:2016 television films
Category:2016 documentary films
Category:American documentary television films
Category:Documentary films about comedy and comedians
Category:Documentary films about film directors and producers
Category:Films directed by Douglas McGrath
Category:HBO documentary films