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America's Burning

Play trailer Poster for America's Burning 2024,  1h 23m,  Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist - - 4 Reviews Tomatometer - - Popcornmeter
Tomatometer 4 Reviews Popcornmeter
From Executive Producers Michael Douglas and Barry Levinson, America's Burning draws on an amazing collection of thinkers and strategists, from James Carville and Amy Chua to Ian Bremmer and Leon Panetta, as New York Times best-selling author David Smick guides the viewer on a journey to discover the reasons for today's hate and division -- and rising risk of civil war. For 40 years, the US economy has been a paradox. It’s been an extraordinary wealth-creating machine, but only for the half of the country that owns stocks. Capitalism has, as James Carville put it, become "a racket" -- the ultimate corporate insider's club, a system centrally controlled by the well-connected few. As a result, the middle class is shrinking and the American Dream's promise of social mobility for all who work hard is dying. A new Velvet Rope Society of brains and money has cut itself off from the rest of America. Working families feel forgotten and angry, but it doesn't have to be this way. America has an impressive history of resilience. Narrated by Michael Douglas, the film shows why our best days could still lie ahead.

Critics Reviews

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Louisa Moore Screen Zealots Jan 4, 2025
Despite its "preaching to the choir" tone, this documentary is a well-edited, articulate examination of why so many Americans feel disillusioned with their country. Go to Full Review
Stephen Silver The SS Ben Hecht Nov 8, 2024
The conclusion: “Our nation is bitterly divided, and the only solution is for everyone in both parties to come together and do everything I want.” Go to Full Review
Avi Offer NYC Movie Guru Jul 13, 2024
Provocative, timely and slickly-edited. It ultimately bites off more than it could chew. The solution sounds hopeful and optimistic, but oversimplified and not very practical. Go to Full Review
Christopher Llewellyn Reed Film Festival Today Jun 30, 2024
1/5
I concur that the current state of affairs in the country is lamentable—even incendiary—but the why and the how, not to mention the what to do about it, is far more complicated than it appears here. Go to Full Review
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Cast & Crew

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David Smick

Director

Michael Douglas

Narrator

James Carville

Self

Ian Bremmer

Self

Leon Panetta

Self

James Baker

Self
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America's Burning

America's Burning (2024) America's Burning (2024) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis From Executive Producers Michael Douglas and Barry Levinson, America's Burning draws on an amazing collection of thinkers and strategists, from James Carville and Amy Chua to Ian Bremmer and Leon Panetta, as New York Times best-selling author David Smick guides the viewer on a journey to discover the reasons for today's hate and division -- and rising risk of civil war. For 40 years, the US economy has been a paradox. It’s been an extraordinary wealth-creating machine, but only for the half of the country that owns stocks. Capitalism has, as James Carville put it, become "a racket" -- the ultimate corporate insider's club, a system centrally controlled by the well-connected few. As a result, the middle class is shrinking and the American Dream's promise of social mobility for all who work hard is dying. A new Velvet Rope Society of brains and money has cut itself off from the rest of America. Working families feel forgotten and angry, but it doesn't have to be this way. America has an impressive history of resilience. Narrated by Michael Douglas, the film shows why our best days could still lie ahead.
Director
David Smick
Producer
Ian Michaels
Distributor
Abramorama
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Jul 12, 2024, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Apr 21, 2025
Runtime
1h 23m
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