At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal
Directed byErin Lee Carr
Produced byDavid Ulich
Steven Ungerleider
Production
companies
S. J. Gibson Films
Sidewinder Films
Distributed byHBO
Release date
  • April 26, 2019 (2019-04-26) (Tribeca)
Running time
89 mins
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal is a 2019 American documentary film directed by Erin Lee Carr. The film is produced by David Ulich, and Steven Ungerleider. The film is based on the USA Gymnastics sex abuse scandal.[1]

Premise

The film follows the sex abuse and molestation scandal surrounding USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, interviewing gymnasts who used to be under his care and detailing the factors that allowed the situation to persist. It features impact statements given by the victims during Nassar's week-long sentencing hearing.

Release

The film premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival,[2] and showed on HBO on May 3, 2019.[3]

Critical response

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 100% based on 27 reviews, and an average rating of 8.3/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "At the Heart of Gold is a scathing indictment of institutional abuse that sensitively provides victims with a platform to tell their stories."[4] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 82 out of 100, based on five critics, indicating "Universal acclaim".[5]

Nick Schager, of Variety wrote, "In Kyle Stephens' heartbreaking statement to the court about the personal and familial ramifications of Nassar's actions, the film exposes the far-reaching consequences of such monstrousness, which no matter the courageous and inspiring resilience of its many survivors, has clearly left profound, lasting scars."[6]

Robert Abele of The Los Angeles Times wrote, "Hearing from the girls, whether from the courtroom footage or in testimonials for Carr's camera, is ultimately what makes "At the Heart of Gold," even in its no-nonsense execution, necessary viewing."[7]

Sophie Gilbert of The Atlantic wrote, "To see such a vast group of women speaking out is shocking, but also encouraging—together, they represent something undeniably powerful. But you're left wondering what it means that there had to be so many of them for Nassar to finally get justice."[8]

Accolades

Nominated

References

  1. ^ Saraiya, Sonia (May 3, 2019). "How Did Larry Nassar Get Away with It? HBO Goes Inside the Gymnastics Sex Abuse Scandal". HWD. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  2. ^ Strause, Jackie (April 26, 2019). "'Heart of Gold' Team on Capturing "Historical Moment" for Women in HBO Gymnastics Scandal Doc". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  3. ^ "Documentary "At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal" Debuts May 3, Exclusively on HBO". The Futon Critic. April 17, 2019. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  4. ^ "At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal (2019)", Rotten Tomatoes, Fandango, retrieved October 30, 2021
  5. ^ "At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal - Metacritic". www.metacritic.com. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  6. ^ Schager, Nick (May 5, 2019). "Tribeca Film Review: 'At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal'". Variety. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  7. ^ Abele, Robert (May 2, 2019). "Review: 'At the Heart of Gold: Inside the USA Gymnastics Scandal' demands attention". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  8. ^ Gilbert, Sophie (May 2, 2019). "A New Film Reveals How Larry Nassar Benefited From a Culture of Silence". The Atlantic. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
  9. ^ Yang, Rachel (May 14, 2019). "'Avengers: Endgame,' 'Game of Thrones' Dominate MTV Movie & TV Award Nominations". Variety. Retrieved May 18, 2019.

External links

Films directed by Erin Lee Carr
Artistic gymnastics in the United States
Categories