Better Nate Than Ever
Synopsis
13-year-old Nate Foster is an unpopular Midwestern kid who entertains vivid fantasies of becoming a big Broadway musical star. In the meantime, however, Nate can't even get a decent role in his middle school's drama productions, getting cast as a tree in the chorus instead of the lead role he craves. However, when he and his best friend Litty mastermind a daring trip to New York City, without their parents' knowledge, to audition for "Lilo and Stitch: The Musical," Nate may be on the verge of fulfilling his lifelong dream. But first, he has to overcome a series of comical obstacles that threaten his Broadway adventure with disaster at every farcical turn.
Production Budget Analysis
The production budget for Better Nate Than Ever (2022) has not been publicly disclosed.
CAST: Rueby Wood, Lisa Kudrow, Joshua Bassett, Aria Brooks, Norbert Leo Butz, Michelle Federer DIRECTOR: Tim Federle CINEMATOGRAPHY: Declan Quinn MUSIC: Gabriel Mann PRODUCTION: Walt Disney Pictures, Marc Platt Productions
Box Office Performance
Theatrical box office data is not publicly available for Better Nate Than Ever (2022). This may indicate a limited release, direct-to-streaming, or a release predating modern box office tracking.
Profitability Assessment
Insufficient publicly available data to assess profitability.
INDUSTRY IMPACT
PRODUCTION NOTES
▸ Filming & Locations
Principal photography commenced in New York City, in June 2021. Some scenes were also filmed at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York that same month. Filming also took place in the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City.
[Filming] Principal photography commenced in New York City, in June 2021. Some scenes were also filmed at Archbishop Stepinac High School in White Plains, New York that same month. Filming also took place in the New Amsterdam Theatre in New York City.
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Summary: 1 win & 11 nominations
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CRITICAL RECEPTION
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 83% of 47 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.7/10. The site's critical consensus reads: "A modern musical with old-fashioned charm, Better Nate Than Ever hits heartwarming high notes with its joyous message of self-acceptance." Metacritic assigned the film a score of 66 out of 100 based on 6 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Courtney Howard of Variety wrote: "As far as sentiments go, the film’s heart is in the right place. It’s LGBT-positive in terms of representation and acts as a love letter to musical artistic expression." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette stated: "Better Nate Than Ever is likely to serve as a charming celebration of young dreamers and how far they’ll go to find a community that fully accepts them." Petrana Radulovic of Polygon gave a positive review, calling it a "delight" that is "an ode to theater kids (and wannabe theater kids) everywhere." Amy Nicholson of The New York Times praised the performances of the actors and found the script creative, but stated that the movie does not engage explicitly enough with LGBT themes. Jennifer Green of Common Sense Media rated the film 4 out of 5 stars and wrote: "Better Nate Than Ever is a charming tween musical about celebrating differences and following your dreams based on Tim Federle's same-named book. [...] The film has positive messages about staying true to yourself and accepting friends and relatives for who they are, sometimes making personal sacrifices for their benefit." Nell Minow of RogerEbert.com gave the movie a 3,5 out of 4 stars rating, praised the performances of the cast, complimented the humor, and found the film manages to depict a positive render of musicals.
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