20 Feet from Stardom

I wish I'd seen this in time for my best of 2013 list. It's an interesting chronicle of the unsung heroes who play an important part in making a song what it is. And how that choice often yields shamefully little fruit for those who deserve something bigger, but its also usually about the embracure of one's role in music history.

Substanceless, but full of spectacle and some high profile performances. I wanted to know more about the singers, but the second half of the film just kept repeating "background singing is awesome, but you can be a REAL singer if you try really really hard!"

The untold story of some very talented ladies. You have probably heard them before!

Gets somewhat annoying towards the end, with all the complaining about not having successful solo careers. Performing with high profile artists for a living is a dream for most people. The unmerited hyping of an entitled Judith Hill was particulary grating.

It's watchable since the music is great but the point of it all is left a bit vague as there's neither a message nor depth in it.

a lackluster narrative is kept alive by some amazing music and vocalist performances.

Pretty pictures, interesting subject matter and some colorful characters. On the downside Spike Lee makes a very brief appearance and "The Act of Killing" didn't win best documentary. Grudges aside, I enjoyed these 90 minutes with these incredibly talented ladies, though.

They might be good musicians, but what they have to say isn't very interesting.

this beautiful documentary does a great job in understanding the psychology of being a background singer.. a must see for all musicians

B+

I have been a fan of Darlene Love all my life, so I was really excited to watch this documentary. It was fascinating learning about the careers of the backup singers and how many iconic songs feature their gifts. The documentary was especially poignant when it explored how so many of the singers attempted solo careers, but failed due to a combination of racism/sexism. They deserved so much better.

I've grown up with a deep appreciation for background singing and harmonizing. I feel it's what we've been missing from the of music of today. 20 Feet From Stardom pleads that case for a deep, full, and beautiful sounding 90 minutes.

Worth watching for the "Gimme Shelter" scene alone.

Great music, maybe the best vocal performances recorded. But struggles to keep me interested all the way to the end. But just got to listen to "Gimme Shelter" one more time!

Ain't sayin nuttin' new.

The 'Gimme Shelter' part brought tears to my eyes

Though hurts at times this is just beautiful to watch, you know that there are so many people have not made it though they did had the talent but actually seeing and hearing is different. Beautiful, and thanks for introducing Lisa Fischer what a talent, what a voice. Watch it you won't regret that's for sure.

An enlightening and moving look at a part of show business that hasn't been explored much before. Lots of great music but what makes it work is the story of the group of talented and strong singers at the center of it all.

Solid documentary about backup singers, but IMO it's over-hyped and lacks a clear focus.

Joyous and interesting.The most incredible voices and some fabulous old footage of past performances.

good documentary that actually has some insight

Fascinating and heartbreaking.

Michael McDonald on the Christopher Cross self titled. This almost becomes a Phil Spector fudges over Darlene Love and then Darlene Love kicks ass movie but we can save that for another hot doc.

It certainly helps that Darlene Love and Bruce Springsteen play a key role, and I have a real affinity for a lot of the music dicussed and played - '60s girl groups, that Spector sound. I suppose this would be of little interest to those not bothered by the material. But to those who are, it's a goldmine of great tidbits, and it has some moving stories to tell, to boot.

my watching experience was an increasing realisation these people were on everything! it was that leo dicaprio pointing meme anytime a classic song comes up

An illuminating and emotional look at the talented singers who raise popular music to incredible heights. Full of incredible music by fascinating people who deserve to be in the spotlight after years of hard work.

The most compelling part of this documentary is not the narrative (although that's not bad) but the sheer talent of those on display.

The narrative suffers, but the stories interesting enough to push forward.

Interesting look at one of the most important aspects of popular music.

It's a fun look at a lot of the people who made some of my favorite music great. I can't imagine this would be terribly interesting to people who don't love the types of music showcased here, though.