Rotten Tomatoes
Movies Tv shows RT App News Showtimes

An American Pastoral

Play trailer 1:47 Poster for An American Pastoral 2024 1h 58m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
Watchlist Tomatometer Popcornmeter
100% Tomatometer 10 Reviews Popcornmeter 0 Ratings
In a quiet Pennsylvania town, a storm is brewing over the soul of its public schools. What begins as a debate over library books quickly reveals a deeper battle--one over religion, democracy, and the future of American education. Set in Elizabethtown, nestled in the heart of Lancaster County, An American Pastoral follows a high-stakes local school board race as it becomes a flashpoint for a national culture war. With far-right activists pushing a theocratic agenda and longtime public servants stepping down under threat, the town's once-routine school board meetings erupt into scenes of conflict and division. This gripping documentary captures the voices of citizens fighting to protect their schools--and the fragile promise of secular democracy--one ballot at a time.
Watch on Fandango at Home Stream Now

Where to Watch

An American Pastoral

Critics Reviews

View More
Guy Lodge Variety 4d
Edler’s calmly watchful film trusts in viewers to see the national forest for the trees. Go to Full Review Lee Marshall Screen International 4d
Hardly a second too long despite its almost two-hour running time, this urgent, absorbing documentary should be required viewing for those, inside or outside the United States, who are struggling to make sense of the recent presidential election. Go to Full Review Betsy Bozdech AWFJ.org 5d
Auberi Edler'sfastidiously observational about the tense 2023 school board race in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, lays bare the deep, painful divides that plague virtually every aspect of life in the United States. Go to Full Review William Schwartz Book & Film Globe Feb 24
An all-too-rare look at what American democracy actually looks like in practice outside the quadrennial drama of the general election. Go to Full Review Dennis Harvey 48 Hills Feb 20
Auberi Edler’s 2024 documentary remains alarmingly relevant -- a scrupulously neutral gaze at Americans so indoctrinated they have no idea they represent an extreme, and who are now driving national policy. Go to Full Review Ryan Silberstein MovieJawn Feb 14
While much of An American Pastoral is enraging, it is also energizing. Go to Full Review Read all reviews
An American Pastoral

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

View All

Auberi Edler

Director

Serge Lalou

Producer

Auberi Edler

Cinematographer

Barbara Bascou

Film Editor
View All

An American Pastoral

An American Pastoral: Trailer 1 An American Pastoral: Trailer 1 1:47 View more videos
View All

An American Pastoral

An American Pastoral (2024) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis In a quiet Pennsylvania town, a storm is brewing over the soul of its public schools. What begins as a debate over library books quickly reveals a deeper battle--one over religion, democracy, and the future of American education. Set in Elizabethtown, nestled in the heart of Lancaster County, An American Pastoral follows a high-stakes local school board race as it becomes a flashpoint for a national culture war. With far-right activists pushing a theocratic agenda and longtime public servants stepping down under threat, the town's once-routine school board meetings erupt into scenes of conflict and division. This gripping documentary captures the voices of citizens fighting to protect their schools--and the fragile promise of secular democracy--one ballot at a time.
Director
Auberi Edler
Producer
Serge Lalou
Distributor
Film Movement
Production Co
Les Films d'Ici Méditerranée
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 13, 2026
Runtime
1h 58m
Most Popular at Home Now