Citizen Ashe

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Citizen Ashe

2021

1h 36m

Documentary

Biography

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

97%

Tomatometer

31 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Directors Rex Miller and Sam Pollard explore the enduring legacy of tennis great and humanitarian Arthur Ashe in a feature documentary as elegant, meaningful, and poignant as the life he lived. Ashe's widow, brother, friends from his childhood in Richmond to his Grand Slam tournament playing and coaching days, as well as confidantes that nurtured his personal evolution from sports legend to global activist, describe the key events that shaped Ashe's quiet determination to 'use what he had to do what he could.'

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Critics Consensus

If Citizen Ashe sometimes wavers toward hagiography, this warm tribute to an extraordinary life makes it easy to understand why.

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Ben Dowell

The Times (UK)

Jun 28, 2022

Eye-opening...

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Tim Cogshell

FilmWeek (LAist)

Dec 21, 2021

I thoroughly enjoyed this movie.

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Simran Hans

Observer (UK)

Dec 12, 2021

4/5

This thoughtful documentary about Arthur Ashe, the first African American man to win Wimbledon in 1975, understands that representation is only one step towards equality.

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Alison Rowat

The Herald (Scotland)

Jul 8, 2022

You can never have enough Storyville documentaries, and this look at the life of Arthur Ashe proved to be just the ticket.

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James Walton

The Spectator

Jun 30, 2022

If the result never entirely convinced us that its subject measures up to our exacting modern standards, it left us in no doubt that the reverence was justified.

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Erik Childress

Movie Madness Podcast

Apr 12, 2022

3/4

A necessary documentation of a life perhaps remembered for tennis first and his tragic end second. Ashe's rise to activism and how to cautiously react to the McEnroes of the world deserves a higher ranking.

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James N

@RT85151129 Mar 13, 2026

Amazing, what a life, what a guy.

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dave d

@RT34924333 Apr 4, 2022

Arthur Ashe may be the hero America needs, but too few know how wonderful a human he was. We should be naming bridges after people like him not politicians! A fast-paced documentary on the life of the tennis great doesn't have anything bad to say about Ashe, but does touch on how he was viewed by some people in a negative light. Ashe was stoic and calculating and ended up being an advocate for all things right! Final Score: 9.3/10

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Jan 7, 2022

Excellent! Gave you the entire spectrum of his life. I learned a ton about him and his life.

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Michael W

@mawilps Dec 13, 2021

This sports documentary was very good. The entire crew did a spectacular job in bringing the amazing story about tennis legend Arthur Ashe. It really shows the viewers everything about him and how he became not only a legend in the game of tennis, but a true role model to the community. If you haven't seen this documentary yet, check it out sometime. It's a definite must see even if you're not a tennis fan.

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Rex Miller

Director

Sam Pollard

Director

Johnnie Ashe

Self

Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe

Self

Harry Edwards

Self

Beth Hubbard

Producer

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Synopsis

Directors Rex Miller and Sam Pollard explore the enduring legacy of tennis great and humanitarian Arthur Ashe in a feature documentary as elegant, meaningful, and poignant as the life he lived. Ashe's widow, brother, friends from his childhood in Richmond to his Grand Slam tournament playing and coaching days, as well as confidantes that nurtured his personal evolution from sports legend to global activist, describe the key events that shaped Ashe's quiet determination to 'use what he had to do what he could.'

Director: Rex Miller, Sam Pollard
Producer: Beth Hubbard, Anna Godas, Rex Miller, Steven Cantor, Jamie Schutz, Jeanne Moutoussamy-Ashe
Distributor: Magnolia Pictures
Production Co: Rexpix Media, Get Lifted Film Company, Stick Figure Productions, Artemis Rising Foundation, Dogwoof Pictures, CNN Films, HBO Max
Genre: Documentary, Biography
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 3, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 3, 2021
Runtime: 1h 36m

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