Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Positive role models, language, violence in music docu.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
LILITH FAIR: BUILDING A MYSTERY recounts how, in 1997, Canadian musician Sarah McLachlan launched an all-female concert known as Lilith Fair. The tour grew and continued for three years, drawing tens of thousands to concerts across North America. The documentary interviews many of the female artists who played at the concert, which ran from 1997-99, and delves into how the festival was received by critics and industry executives, as well as why it was needed in the culture of the time as a place where women from all walks of life felt represented and inspired.
Is It Any Good?
This informative documentary gathers a range of voices to craft a portrait not just of a pioneering music festival, but also of a culture not long past. In fact, this broader reflection on the sexism so rampant in mainstream media of the late 1990s makes Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery more interesting than if it had stuck solely to the concert tour.
But that was never really possible, because as the film makes clear, the tour existed and thrived and evolved precisely because of the social context, giving both the artists on stage and the concertgoers in the audience a feeling of community. Perhaps more voices of young artists today, like Olivia Rodrigo, reflecting on the pioneering importance of the female artists who came before them would have made the film even more relevant for younger artists and fans.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about what they learned about the festival and its many talents in Lilith Fair: Building a Mystery. What surprised you the most?
What do you think has been the lasting impact, if any, of Lilith Fair?
Why do you think the festival wasn't successful in 2010? What did its organizers say about that?
Were there any voices missing in this documentary? Explain.
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : September 21, 2025
- Cast : Sarah McLachlin , Sheryl Crow , Olivia Rodrigo
- Director : Ally Pankiw
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Hulu
- Genre : Documentary
- Topics : Activism ( Civic engagement , Gender equality , LGBTQ+ rights , Racial justice ) , Arts ( Concert , Music and Sing-Along ) , Friendship , History
- Run time : 99 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 13, 2025
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