Critic Reviews

• Cliff Doerksen, Chicago Reader

  Even after 124 minutes of praise he still seems like a sad bastard.

• Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

  Hefner's Playboy Foundation fought for civil liberties in general. The cost for these activities came out of his profits, and that didn't give him a moment's pause.

• Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

  A studiously airbrushed portrait of its subject, this obsequious biography of Hugh Hefner highlights his undeniable and important good works, while skirting any serious effort at context or psychological insight.

• Claudia Puig, USA Today

  This is not a probing examination of Hef in all his complexity.

• Jeannette Catsoulis, NPR

  This eye-opening documentary reveals the mensch beneath the moolah, the ardent social reformer beneath the paisley-patterned shirts.

• , CNN.com

  The film humanizes Hefner in a way no one has attempted to do before on the big screen.

• Brandon Judell, indieWIRE

  A seamless, eye-opening entertainment about the civil rights activist side of the Playboy publisher.

• Leonard Maltin, Leonard Maltin's Picks

  There are few people who can be credited with affecting real or lasting change in our culture. One of them is Hugh Hefner, an aspiring cartoonist who borrowed money to put...

• Matt Pais, Metromix.com

  More of a pat on the back than a true examination of the man inside the robe.

• Chris Bumbray, JoBlo's Movie Emporium

  Definitely worth a look.

• Kelly Vance, East Bay Express

  The Playboy empire unabashedly lined up with liberal causes, bringing messages of racial tolerance, resistance to the military-industrial complex, and anti-Puritanism into bedrooms all over America.

• Elizabeth Snead, Zap2it.com

  To put it mildly, the doc is way more than just T&A , Bunnies and centerfolds. Although there's some of that too.

• John Griffin, Montreal Gazette

  Those who consider Hefner a man who made fortunes by exploiting women in his magazine should find no reason to change their minds after watching this fascinating, illuminating document of America during a time of profound change.

• Diana Saenger, ReviewExpress.com

  A well-done story that reveals more about Hefner than most of us knew.

• James Verniere, Boston Herald

  Stylistically, the documentary is generic: existing footage and talking head interviews with the addition of centerfolds and shots of classic Playboy short stories and Forum debates.

Read all 15 critic reviews