Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb is a 2022 documentary film by Lizzie Gottlieb about the relationship between biographer Robert Caro and his editor, her father Robert Gottlieb.

Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb
The poster for the film
Directed byLizzie Gottlieb
Produced byJoanne Nerenberg, Jen Small, Lizzie Gottlieb
StarringRobert Caro, Robert Gottlieb
CinematographyMott Hupfel
Edited byMolly Bernstein, Kristen Nutile
Music byOlivier and Clare Manchon
Production
companies
Topic Studios, Left/Right, YoungLove Productions
Distributed bySony Pictures Classics
Release date
  • June 12, 2022 (2022-06-12) (Tribeca Film Festival)
Running time
113 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$335,417[1][2]

Synopsis

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The film focuses on biographer Robert Caro and his editor, the documentarian's father Robert Gottlieb, as they work methodically to complete the final, fifth volume of Caro's Lyndon Johnson biography.[3] The pair, both in their late 80s, had worked together for five decades, starting with Caro's biography of Robert Moses, The Power Broker, and continuing through Caro's first four volumes about Lyndon B. Johnson. Its story is focused on the interplay between writer and editor as they work to finish the fifth book rather than a history of their lives. The film features interviews with politicians and media personalities.[4]

Production

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Though Caro and Gottlieb originally declined to be the subject of the documentary, after some convincing, documentarian Lizzie Gottlieb began filming them in 2016. At first, she only filmed them separately, at Caro's request, to avoid moments of contention. Towards the end the two are seen editing together, with music instead of sound. The film was in post-production in early 2021[4] and premiered at the June 2022 Tribeca Film Festival.[5] Sony Pictures Classics acquired the film following the festival.[6][7]

Robert Gottlieb died the next year, in 2023.[8]

Critical reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 96% of 47 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.1/10.[9] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 81 out of 100, based on 14 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[10]

References

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  1. ^ "Turn Every Page - The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb (2022)". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  2. ^ "Turn Every Page - The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb (2022)". The Numbers. Nash Information Services, LLC. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  3. ^ Paul, Pamela (January 5, 2023). "Opinion: Robert Caro, Robert Gottlieb and the Art of the Edit". The New York Times. Retrieved January 18, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Guerrasio, Jason (January 28, 2021). "Literary legends Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb are set to be in a documentary that highlights their race to complete their final book". Insider. Archived from the original on August 29, 2021. Retrieved August 28, 2021.
  5. ^ Gleiberman, Owen (June 18, 2022). "'Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb' Review: An Enthralling Book-World Documentary". Variety. Archived from the original on August 14, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  6. ^ Rubin, Rebecca (June 15, 2022). "Sony Pictures Classics Buys Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb Documentary 'Turn Every Page' Following Tribeca Premiere". Variety. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  7. ^ Grobar, Matt (June 15, 2022). "Sony Pictures Classics Acquires Topic Studios' Doc 'Turn Every Page' From Director Lizzie Gottlieb – Tribeca". Deadline. Archived from the original on August 17, 2022. Retrieved September 5, 2022.
  8. ^ McFadden, Robert D. (June 14, 2023). "Robert Gottlieb, Eminent Editor From le Carré to Clinton, Dies at 92". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331.
  9. ^ "Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved February 22, 2023.
  10. ^ "Turn Every Page: The Adventures of Robert Caro and Robert Gottlieb". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved January 31, 2023.

Further reading

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