Parents' Guide to

I Know a Man...Ashley Bryan

By Andrea Beach, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Earnest docu about inspiring African American artist.

Movie NR 2016 57 minutes
I Know a Man...Ashley Bryan Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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Is It Any Good?

Our review:
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Kids say: Not yet rated

This earnest documentary has its heart in the right place and an admirable subject, but it doesn't make connections or transitions that give the viewer the feeling of watching a story. I Know a Man…Ashley Bryan is interesting and inspirational but would work better as part of an educational unit about American art, or the African American experience, which would provide some much-needed context for why the filmmakers chose this subject, or how Bryan and his work fit into modern African American culture and heritage.

That being said, kids old enough to have patience with the adult perspective will find a lot to admire about Bryan. They'll learn a lot about art and some aspects of history that Bryan lived through, and they'll hopefully be inspired to appreciate their own value and uniqueness and to find a creative outlet of their own.

Movie Details

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