Better Than Something: Jay Reatard

2012 | Biography, Documentary, Drama

Synopsis

For Jimmy Lee Lindsay, life was a mosh pit. Whether it was growing up among crack addicts on the rough side of Memphis, or his years in the rough-and-tumble underground rock scene of the '00s, the man the world came to know as Jay Reatard always had to fight in order to create, to grow, to live, to rise above. For the first time, filmmakers Alex Hammond and Ian Markiewicz tell Reatard's difficult, tragic, and ultimately inspiring story, tracing his steps from a poverty-stricken childhood to his teen years as a two-fisted tunesmith slugging it out with fans and band-mates alike to his final years as a surprisingly thoughtful and restlessly creative man. While Reatard died too young, his music-and the story that made it possible-is as vital and thrilling as ever.

Scores

Overall Score
25.4
Popularity Percentile (Year)
4.9%
Box Office Percentile (Year)
18.9%
Review Aggregate
83.2

Critic Consensus

80.0% Fresh • 10 critic reviews

Critic reception is largely positive, with 80% of 10 logged reviews marked Fresh. Across reviews, critics repeatedly emphasize lighthearted, character-driven, emotional. Most critics frame the film as an effective delivery of its core style and intent.

lightheartedcharacter-drivenemotionalvisually strikingthought-provokingrealistic

Cast

CastYearReported SalaryInflation AdjustedNotes
N/A

Aggregated Reviews

Rotten Tomatoes critic score80.0
RT critic review count10
Rotten Tomatoes audience score92.0
RT audience rating count100
IMDb rating7.6
IMDb votes162

Box Office ?

CategoryYearReportedInflation Adjusted
Domestic2012$21,697$29,644
International2012N/AN/A
Worldwide2012$21,697$29,644

Earnings / Profitability

Estimated net revenues and net expenses for films based on reported and estimated numbers. This income statement should be considered most viable for the first 24 months after the inital movie's release (ie after most lucrative pay windows).
CategoryYearReportedInflation Adjusted
Revenues
Theatrical Net Revenue2012$10,848$14,822
Digital Rentals ?2012$727,000$993,292
Digital Purchases ?2012$327,000$446,777
Physical Rentals ?2012$1,153,000$1,575,331
Physical Purchases ?2012$2,848,000$3,891,192
TV & Streaming Revenue2012$64,500$88,126
Total Revenues2012$5,130,348$7,009,540
Expenses
Budget ?2012$215,000 (est)$293,752 (est)
Print & Advertising (P&A) ?2012$80,000 (est)$109,303 (est)
Participations2012$205,000$280,089
Residuals ?2012$330,000$450,875
Interest & Overhead2012$43,000$58,750
Total Expenses2012$873,000$1,192,770
Movie Net Profit or Loss2012$4,257,348$5,816,769

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