The defence The Sentimental Softie
“Sincerity is not manipulation.”
The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.
Back to trending 
True Stories
Comedy · Music · 1986
A small but growing Texas town, filled with strange and musical characters, celebrates its sesquicentennial and converge on a local parade and talent show.
Movie details
True Stories
“A Completely Cool, Multi-Purpose Movie.”
1986 Comedy · Music 1h 29m
Critical arithmetic
One number, for now.
Scores change. Arguments endure.
TMDB
6.7 / 10
Community rating
A small but growing Texas town, filled with strange and musical characters, celebrates its sesquicentennial and converge on a local parade and talent show.
CriticWise case file
What this film says about your taste.
Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.
The archetype split
Who fights over True Stories?
For the defence
The Sentimental Softie
“You came to feel something, and you will.”
Read their case For the prosecution
The Cool Ironist
“Feeling things is a little embarrassing.”
Read their objectionThe split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.
Taste neighbourhood
Nearby on the taste map.
TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.
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Rock 'n' Roll High School
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Head
Comedy · 1968
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The Rocker
Comedy · 2008
In the 1980s, a drummer is abandoned by his band just before they become rock superstars. Twenty years later, the drummer sees his second chance at stardom arise when he is asked to perform with his teenage nephew's high school rock band.
Back to the Beach
Comedy · 1987
A former beach boy and his wife go to California to visit their daughter and become part of the new beach scene.
Bye Bye Birdie
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Where it lives
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Names above the title
The people responsible.
Cast & crew
Directed by
David Byrne
Written by
Stephen Tobolowsky · David Byrne · Beth Henley
David Byrne
Narrator / Lip-Syncher
John Goodman
Louis Fyne
Annie McEnroe
Kay Culver
Jo Harvey Allen
The Lying Woman
Spalding Gray
Earl Culver
Alix Elias
The Cute Woman
Roebuck 'Pops' Staples
Mr. Tucker
Court is in session
Put True Stories on trial.
Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.
The prosecution The Cool Ironist
“The strings are showing.”
Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.