The Way I See It (film) explained

The Way I See It
Director:	Dawn Porter
Starring:	Pete Souza
Editing:	Jessica Congdon
Distributor:	Focus Features (United States) Universal Pictures (International)
Runtime:	102 minutes^[1]
Country:	United States
Language:	English
Gross:	$49,030^[2]

The Way I See It is a 2020 American documentary film directed and produced by Dawn Porter, revolving around Pete Souza, the former Chief Official White House Photographer. Laura Dern serves as the producer under her Jaywalker Pictures banner.

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2020. It was released in a limited release on September 18, 2020, by Focus Features, followed by broadcast on MSNBC on October 16, 2020.

Synopsis

The film follows the life of Pete Souza, the former Chief Official White House Photographer to former presidents Ronald Reagan and Barack Obama, as the photographer to the president as Souza uses his photography of Obama as commentary to understand where America is now.

Production

In November 2019, it was announced Dawn Porter would direct and produce the film, with Laura Dern serving as producer under her Jaywalker Pictures banner, with Focus Features distributing.^{[3] [4]} In July 2020, it was announced the film was titled The Way I See It.^[5]

Release

The film had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2020.^[6] It was set to have its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival in September 2020, prior to its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.^[7] It was released in a limited release on September 18, 2020, followed by broadcast on MSNBC on October 16, 2020.^{[8] [9]}

Critical reception

The Way I See It holds approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on reviews, with an average of . The site's critical consensus reads, "The Way I See It takes an engaging look back at a political era from the unique perspective of the photographer who documented it from the inside."^[10] On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 67 out of 100 based on 17 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".^[11]

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Way I See It. Toronto International Film Festival. August 25, 2020.
2. Web site: The Way I See It (2020). The Numbers. October 3, 2020.
3. Web site: Focus Features Has Dawn Porter Documentary In The Works About White House Photographer Pete Souza. Deadline Hollywood. Anthony. D'Alessandro. November 12, 2019. July 21, 2020.
4. Web site: Dawn Porter And Focus Features Set To Make Documentary With Former Chief Official White House Photographer Pete Souza. Focus Features. November 12, 2019. July 21, 2020.
5. Web site: The Way I See It. Film Ratings. July 21, 2020.
6. Web site: Toronto Sets Talks With Halle Berry, Claire Denis & Barry Jenkins; Adds David Oyelowo, Matthew Heineman Films. Deadline Hollywood. Tom. Grater. August 25, 2020. August 25, 2020.
7. Web site: Inside the Telluride Film Festival That Would Have Been. The Hollywood Reporter. Rebecca. Keegan. August 3, 2020. August 3, 2020.
8. Web site: White House Doc 'The Way I See It' Sets Release in Theaters Ahead of MSNBC Premiere. Variety. Rebecca. Rubin. September 1, 2020. September 1, 2020.
9. Web site: Documentary turns the camera on Mass. native Pete Souza, former White House photographer. The Patriot Ledger. Dana. Barbuto. October 8, 2020. October 9, 2020.
10. Web site: The Way I See It (2020). Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango. .
11. Web site: The Way I See It. Metacritic. September 24, 2020.