Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party (2005)

100% of critics liked it
(12 reviews)
85% of users liked it
(317 ratings)

The documentary Stephen Tobolowsky's Birthday Party stars the well-respected character actor as a camera crew follow him around on his birthday, He shares numerous stories about his adventures in Hollywood, and relates a number of strange anecdotes from his remarkable life. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 27 min.
Directed By: Robert Brinkmann
Genres: Documentary, Drama, Television, Comedy

In Theaters: Feb 10, 2005 Wide
On DVD: Nov 20, 2007
Studio: The Brinkman Company

Critic Reviews

Mark Bourne, Film.com
Think of Stephen as a softer, rounder, more existentially content Spalding Gray, or the film as a My Dinner with Andre in a pullover sweater and sensible shoes.
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...it does seem entirely likely that even those who've never heard of [Tobolowsky] will inevitably find themselves won over by the actor's warm, irresistibly inviting persona.
Danny Minton, Beaumont Journal
a brilliant, insightful, and hysterical look at one of our great talents.
Jeffrey M. Anderson, Combustible Celluloid
According to Brinkmann, Tobolowsky is the greatest storyteller he's ever heard, and after watching this film, that statement is hard to dispute.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
As possibly the most recognizable character actor of our generation, Stephen Tobolowsky has given us a gift for his birthday. It's a window into his bizarre, unglamorous life.
Christopher Null, Filmcritic.com
surprisingly, shockingly, enthralling
Collin Souter, eFilmCritic.com
Tobolowski is so skilled and effortless, he proves that while everyone has a story to tell, not everyone can tell a great story.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
The kind of party I'd like to attend is the one hosted by Mr. Stephen Tobolowsky - a laid back and quietly classy affair filled with fine wine and lots of great anecdotes.
Steve Rhodes, Internet Reviews
The late Spalding Gray may have no equal living today to recreate the energy and beauty of his monologues, but Stephen Tobolowsky in this film comes close.

Read all 9 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Aaron N

Stephen Tobolowsky is a prolific character actor who can be very recognizable to many, easily characterized as the bald man with glasses. He has almost 200 credits listed on IMDB. His most recognizable would include Ned Ryerson from Groundhog's Day and Sammy Jenkins from Memento.… More
Stephen Tobolowsky is a prolific character actor who can be very recognizable to many, easily characterized as the bald man with glasses. He has almost 200 credits listed on IMDB. His most recognizable would include Ned Ryerson from Groundhog's Day and Sammy Jenkins from Memento. He has also recently had reoccurring roles on the shows Glee and Heroes. Besides being a generally solid actor, he is also a gifted storyteller, which is the concern of this film. There is no conventional story here by any means, this is basically a simple documentary about a day in Stephen's life on his birthday. He spends the 90 minute run time of the film delivering a number of very interesting stories, while preparing for the birthday party at his home, where he will continue to narrate stories for his guests. A couple of cameras and some editing are really the only elements involved, as Stephen simply speaks openly about things that have occurred in his life. Currently, Stephen now has a weekly podcast (co-hosted by the slashfilmcast's own David Chen), which I listen to, where he continues to share stories about his life. It is a testament to how well he can deliver a story that keeps me wanting to be entertained by what he has to say, whether it be through a voice on my iPod or simply watching a non-flashy film where he sits/stands and talks everything out. Whether or not everyone else can see the entertainment value from this is up to each individual, but its nice enough for me to listen this man share his interesting stories.