Fired! (2006)
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44% of critics liked it
(27 reviews) -
39% of users liked it
(160,846 ratings)
Devastated after being fired by director Woody Allen, actress Annabelle Gurwitch sets out on a soul-searching journey to discover whether getting the axe was the best or worst thing ever to happen in her professional career. Anyone who has been in the workforce for an extended amount of time has… More Devastated after being fired by director Woody Allen, actress Annabelle Gurwitch sets out on a soul-searching journey to discover whether getting the axe was the best or worst thing ever to happen in her professional career. Anyone who has been in the workforce for an extended amount of time has likely been there -- one minute you've got a good-paying job that you love, and the next minute you're standing in the unemployment line. When Annabelle Gurwitch got fired by the legendary director of such classics as Annie Hall and The Purple Rose of Cairo, she thought her career was over. Upon turning to her many showbiz pals for advice, however, Gurwitch quickly discovered that she was not alone. In this documentary, Gurwitch enlists the aid of filmmakers Chris Bradley and Kyle La Brache in traveling the country to interview such celebrities as Tim Allen, David Cross, Sarah Silverman, and Jeff Garlin to find out exactly how they dealt with the heavy hand of rejection. Additional interviews with GM workers in Lansing, MI, who were handed their pink slips offer some tales that are tragically comedic and others that seems to reinforce the old adage about one door closing and another door opening, while a visit to job fairs and "outplacement services" show just what the jobless endure on a day-to-day basis. Conversations with the downsizers as well as the downsized offer viewers a chance to explore the topic from both sides as host Gurwitch reminds viewers that sometimes the greatest success stories are born of failure. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Directed By
- Chris Bradley , Kyle Labrach
- Written By
- Annabelle Gurwitch
- Genres
- Documentary, Special Interest
Unrated,
- In Theaters
- Feb 22, 2006 Wide
- Studio
- Shout Factory
Critic Reviews
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John Maynard, Washington Post
It's a shame Allen fired her from that play. After all, then she might not have had the time to make this documentary.
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Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press
As for her anticorporate muckraking, I can say only that I have watched Michael Moore and I have met Michael Moore, and Gurwitch is no Michael Moore.
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Lael Loewenstein, Los Angeles Times
Serious portions, in which Gurwitch appears far too often to be mugging and cracking wise, are intercut with dumb sketches.
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Fred Camper, Chicago Reader
The video is heavy on actors and other showbiz types, and the self-centered Gurwitch doesn't distinguish between a factory worker laid off after decades on the job and an actor getting rejected during tryouts.
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Sid Smith, Chicago Tribune
At the very least, it's gainful, worthwhile employment for its likable star.
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