Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal should not be confused with The College Admissions Scandal.
| Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal | |
| Director: | Chris Smith |
| Starring: | Matthew Modine |
| Distributor: | Netflix |
| Runtime: | 103 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Operation Varsity Blues: The College Admissions Scandal is an American documentary film about the 2019 college admissions bribery scandal. The movie stars Matthew Modine as Rick Singer and features reenactments as well as interviews with real people involved in the scandal.
Production took place in 2020. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic the production was delayed.[1]
The documentary was released on Netflix on March 17, 2021.[2] The documentary was the seventh-most-watched film on Netflix that week.[3]
On Rotten Tomatoes the documentary holds an approval rating of 88%.[4] Matthew Modine's performance was well received with Salon magazine writing that his performance was a "convincing interpretation of Singer's intense physicality."[5] Clarie McNear of The Ringer, thought the documentary was "delicious" although it failed "to cover much new ground."[6] Kelly Lawler of USA Today wrote that the documentary "lacks any uniqueness in its staid narrative.[7] "
On April 6, 2021, Netflix was sued for defamation by John B. Wilson and his family.[8] The Wilson family alleged that the documentary misrepresented them by portraying them as guilty and complicit in the scandal.[9] Wilson pleaded not guilty at trial, and in 2023, his conviction was overturned on appeal.[10] Wilson claims that before the release of the Netflix documentary, he provided them with evidence that proved his children earned their spot in their respective colleges.[11] However, Netflix disregarded Wilson’s evidence, and portrayed him and his family as complicity in the scandal. Wilson's son, John Wilson Jr., is a record-breaking swimmer who caught the attention of recruiters from other NCAA Division I schools, including the Air Force Academy, according to the filing. The lawsuit also claimed that Wilson’s son and daughter both earned almost perfect scores on their ACTs, scoring in the 93rd percentile.[12]