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Poster for Inequality for All

Inequality for All

Seen it?

2013 | 88 min | Documentary

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It earned strong reviews (90% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz. A safe bet when you want something reliable.

Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.

Is it for you?

Who'll love it
Made for the curious. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Eye-opening.
The pace
Moves along nicely, at 1 hr 28 min.
What might put you off
  • Rated PG. Worth a look first if you have very young kids.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

Based on Reich's 2010 book Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future, the film examines widening income inequality in the United States. U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich tries to raise awareness of the country's widening economic gap. He publicly argued about the issue for decades, and producing a film of his viewpoints was a "final frontier" for him. In addition to being a social issue documentary, Inequality for All is also partially a biopic regarding Reich's early life and his time as Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton's presidency. Warren Buffett and Nick Hanauer, two entrepreneurs and investors in the top 1%, are interviewed in the film, supporting Reich's belief in an economy that benefits all citizens, including those of the middle and lower classes.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    90% on Rotten Tomatoes, 68 on Metacritic

  • AudiencesSolid

    7.5 out of 10

  • AwardsBelow par

    2 wins and 2 nominations from smaller awards and festivals

  • Box office & staying powerWeak

    $1 million worldwide

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 12K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Jacob Kornbluth

  • Robert ReichSelf
  • Dolly PartonDoralee Rhodes (archive footage)
  • Tyne DalyMary Beth Lacey (archive footage)
  • Lily TomlinViolet Newstead (archive footage)
  • Mary Tyler MooreMary Richards (archive footage)
  • Candice BergenMurphy Brown (archive footage)
  • Jon StewartSelf (archive footage)
  • Sharon GlessChristine Cagney (archive footage)
  • Conan O'BrienSelf (archive footage)
  • Barack ObamaSelf (archive footage)