72
Metascore
19 reviews · Provided by Metacritic.com
- 88Chicago TribuneJohn PetrakisChicago TribuneJohn PetrakisThe beauty of The Ballad of Ramblin' Jack lies in its ability to transform itself into a sad tale of loss, regret and missed opportunities while it also remains a solid documentary about a once-influential artist seeking his place in the sun.
- 80VarietyDennis HarveyVarietyDennis HarveyAn unbeatably colorful life story.
- 75Christian Science MonitorDavid SterrittChristian Science MonitorDavid SterrittThe archival and interview footage is priceless.
- 75Seattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam ArnoldSeattle Post-IntelligencerWilliam ArnoldElevated out of the music-documentary genre to become something of an intriguing mystery -- and one with no neat solution.
- 75Philadelphia InquirerPhiladelphia InquirerWhat gives the story added insight - and detracts from it - is the personal quest of the filmmaker who bears the scars of having an itinerant rogue who was never around as a father.
- 75San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco ChronicleEnds up musing perceptively on the American dream of wanderlust and its unintended consequences.
- 75Miami HeraldSara WildbergerMiami HeraldSara WildbergerA long overdue look at the man's art and an unself-pitying and unsparing exploration of her (his daughter's) relationship with him.
- 75San Francisco ExaminerWesley MorrisSan Francisco ExaminerWesley MorrisThe ballad as it turns out is a duet between a dad and his girl, who'd often rather accentuate the positive than exploit pain, quietly proving that she is her father's daughter.
- 70Film.comHenry Cabot BeckFilm.comHenry Cabot BeckA fascinating portrayal.