The music is heavenly, as are the performances of Miss McTeer and Aidan Quinn.

| Original Score: B+ | Apr 30, 2024

With an infectious soundtrack featuring Emmylou Harris, Songcatcher is an artfully inspirational tale of women's independence during times of turbulent change.

| May 27, 2022

Full Review | Original Score: B | Jan 24, 2013

Like the main character, it's stodgy and didactic -- and full of grace and surprises.

| Apr 24, 2012

an uneven path, like the mountainous scenery itself

| Original Score: C+ | Nov 30, 2010

Never overcomes its overly familiar story and structure, even with some catchy traditional music generously spread throughout.

| Original Score: 2/4 | Nov 9, 2009

Songcatcher unfolds at a leisurely but enjoyable pace, its dramatic contrivances never pushed too hard by director Maggie Greenwald.

Full Review | Mar 27, 2009

In this exceptional film, mercifully free of the usual warm and fuzzy movie sentimentality, director Maggie Greenwald and her fine cast shatter most hillbilly stereotypes.

| Original Score: 4.5/5 | Jul 30, 2003

This slice of trenchant Americana, grabs you by your lapels, churns you up a bit, and soon has you slapping your knees with blissful exuberance

Full Review | Jun 1, 2003

the presentation [of mountain music]evokes its deep emotions and a beauty that comes from life experience, not the pre-packaged pap courtesy of slick marketing types.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 5, 2003

Buy the soundtrack. Skip the film.

| Original Score: 0.5/5 | Mar 10, 2003

Songcatcher is better than 75% of films in theaters today, blending the earthy integrity of the rural poor with the honest performances of a talented cast.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Feb 8, 2003

Such a lyrical, moving independent film is a rare thing to find; Songcatcher is gorgeously made, perfectly cast and thoroughly engaging.

Full Review | Original Score: 4/5 | Dec 8, 2002

Though writer/director Maggie Greenwald wraps her story around a wincingly trite yarn ... she keeps her film afloat by focusing on the music. But, when the tunes stop, so does the magic.

Full Review | Nov 18, 2002

Forget the silly plot; see this for the music.

| Oct 21, 2002

The music, lovingly performed by such paragons as Alison Kraus, Emmylou Harris, Taj Mahal and Iris Dement, takes on the importance of a character in the movie.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Oct 15, 2002

The movie becomes more than just a story about the music, of course, as McTeer's musicologist comes to understand and appreciate the locals' way of life... and maybe there'll be a little romance along the way?

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/5 | Jun 2, 2002

Promising but ultimately disappointing historically derived fiction.

| Mar 24, 2002

| Original Score: 65/100 | Jan 18, 2002

... like its prickly heroine, the film doesn't always achieve its goals ...

| Original Score: 3.5/5 | Dec 21, 2001