… one man's extraordinary life as a gateway to a larger history of tragedy and transition. It's an unflinching account of what farming takes — and, more important, what it gives back... 

~ Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times~

 An extraordinarily personal and invigorating saga of one man’s reclamation of traditional American ideals … this symbiotic artistry is surely one of the greatest films ever made about America’s farming traditions. 
~ Jeff Shannon, The Seattle Times ~

 “…the agrarian fantasy is so compelling here that the revitalization of the American family farm begins to seem not just possible, but probable… 
~ Julia Wallace, The Village Voice ~

 Compelling contemporary and vintage film footage. The story… is amazing about a farm that falls apart and then is revived. 
~ USA Today ~

 The Real Dirt On Farmer John is a surprisingly broad documentary, encompassing themes of universal importance, like filial guilt, intellectual curiosity and cultural debasement, within a tight tale of a lone farmer, the titular John Peterson. It fully deserves an exuberant, cultish fan base to match Farmer John himself. 
~ Brian Duff, filmink.com.au, Australia~

 It doesn’t matter that he wears feather boas to plough the land, it’s his poetic nature that counts and the fact that he comes across as such a decent bloke who had to bear unimaginable burdens to confront his fate. 
~ Margaret Pomeranz, www.abc.net.au, ABC TV Australia~

 ...John Peterson is Joe DiMaggio, Alice Waters and Spider-man all
rolled into one. 
~ Leslie Kelly, seattlepi.com~

 In dem rührigen Dokumentarfilm erzählt Farmer John seine Geschichte. Mal lyrisch, mal melancholisch, mal traurig, mal komisch, stets unterhaltsam. Es ist ein kleiner, feiner, wunderbarer Film über Small-Town-Amerika, ein Amerika abseits von Krieg und Bush und Cheney. Archivmaterial aus 50 Jahren macht „Farmer John“ obendrein zu einem Juwel der Zeitgeschichte. 
~ Michael Streck, Der STERN (Star), Germany~

 His story offers an example not only of the spiritual value of honoring one’s provenance but also of how sustained effort can lead to greatness. 
~ Shauna Lyon, The New Yorker ~

 I loved this outrageous film! Engaging, moving and highly entertaining. 
~ Audrey Philpot, Malibu Chronicle ~

 Dieser Dokumentarfilm ist ein Glücksfall. Zum einen, weil er beispielhaft von der Entwicklung landwirtschaftlicher Familienbetriebe (nicht nur in den USA) erzählt, zum anderen weil er in der Person des Farmers John Peterson eine charismatische, bisweilen auch exzentrische Figur mit großem Unterhaltungsfaktor vorstellt. Es kann heute nicht genug Farmer vom Schlage eines John Peterson geben. 
~ www.programmkino.de, Germany~

 A triumph of baby boomer ideals, that work and art can and ought to coexist. B+ 
~ Gianni Truzzi, Seattle Post-Intelligencer ~

 As this flamboyant free spirit (at times he's like Priscilla, Queen of the Cornfields) works his way back … turns into a portrait of how American family farming could blossom for a new century. B+ 
~ Owen Gleiberman, Entertainment Weekly ~

 But that's just the beginning of this wonderfully eccentric, yet somehow innocent tale, of a man on the land who harvested a whole new life out of the one he inherited. 
~ urbancinefile.com~

 3 1/2 out of 4 stars - "....a completely American story, and one with an authenticity that's refreshing at a time when the values John lives by—respect for the land, individualism, free expression—are treated as bumper sticker slogans by our political leaders. 
~ Jim Hemphill, Reel.com ~

 3 1/2 out of 4 stars - “What a blessing this film is, for everyone who’s chosen the road less taken, and even perhaps for anyone who’s stood in their way. 
~ Jan Stuart, NewsDay.com ~

 “…it combines in a very beautiful way conservative views and liberal views into a sweet harmony at a time when America so needs to see that example. A 
~ Ross Anthony, Hollywood Report Card ~

 Tarnation on a farm. A 
~ Dave White, Movies.com ~

 Beautifully shot. Heartbreakingly sad. Funny as s**t. A+ 
~ Portland Mercury, Oregon ~

 Farmer John’s like Priscilla, Queen of the Corn... 
~ Entertainment Weekly ~

 Inspiring....outstanding documentary... an intimacy unimaginable in most nonfiction films. 
~ Kevin Crust, , Los Angeles Times ~

 An enjoyable look at an unconventional American. 
~ Walter Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle ~

 This is a loving, moving, inspiring, quirky documentary...visionaries like Peterson are finding a way back to the land. 
~ Roger Ebert ~
(3 1/2 stars out of 4)
For full review

 [One of the Top Ten films of the Year]. Funny, heart-stirring and hopeful...[No other documentary] has been so convincing in making the grass roots of our frequently divided country and culture seem so unifying and precious. 
~ Shawn Levy, The Oregonian ~

 Unbelievably special...told with insight and humor. 
~ Al Gore ~
WATCH Al Gore's Intro

 A charming, wonderful and important movie. 
~ Alice Waters ~

 Compelling contemporary and vintage film footage. The story...is amazing about a farm that falls apart and then is revived. 
~ USA Today ~

 What a movie. 
~ Dorothy Kalins, Newsweek ~

 Lives up to the salaciousness of its title, packing ‘60s radicalism, free love and suspicions of Satanic worship (seriously) into its plight-of-the-working-man narrative...feels natural, yet surprises at every turn. 
~ Adam Nayman, Toronto Eye Weekly ~

 I love this film and have found myself talking about it almost daily since I saw it. Farmer John is a compelling and complex character whose story will open your heart, break it, and then fill it with a redemptive vision. Along the way, you’ll get an education about the joys and curses of farm life and the issues farmers are grappling with. 
~ Nina Utne, Utne Magazine ~

 A most compelling character. He’s a red state American who shows no hesitation about riding his tractor while sporting a fushia feather boa...suffused with a soulful optimism as vast as the fruited plains. 
~ Scott Foundas, Variety ~
For full review

 An inexplicably compelling portrait of a low-key Midwestern eccentric. It may not sound like much, but the film’s oddball charm can melt a die-hard hippie-haters heart. 
~ Cliff Doerksen, Time Out (Chicago) ~

 ... full of curious triumphs and outlandish redemptions. ...effectively links the political and artistic rebellions of the '6o's to the ecological movements of today... 
~ Michael Wilmington, Chicago Tribune ~

 A beguiling combination of agrarian ode and the Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test, deepened by Peterson’s square sincerity as he struggles to find himself in relation to his family’s land. 
~ J.R. Jones, Chicago Reader ~

 An inspiring, thoroughly moving portrait of organic farmer John Peterson that serves also as a chilling study of superstition and intolerance in the heartland. 
~ Jim Ridley, Nashville Scene ~

 I loved this outrageous film! ...It told a deeply personal story in an engaging, moving and highly entertaining manner and allowed the audience to draw their own conclusions about the bigger implications of the plight of family farms in this country, sustainable agriculture and freedom of artistic expression. 
~ Audrey Philpot, Malibu chronicle ~

 Genuinely beautiful, and genuinely beautifully shot – a cause for hope. 
~ Albert Maysles, legendary documentary filmmaker ~

 The Real Dirt changed my life. I really felt like giving up as a farmer, until I saw the movie. When I saw the movie and had an opportunity to be included in someone else's struggles, to go on is the very least I can do. The Real Dirt does just that. I know it will have a profound impact on all viewers. This movie is going to change lives. 
~ Michelle Lutz, Maple Creek Farm ~

 Far more than the story of one beleaguered farmer, it is a riveting dramatic allegory about human nature and the nature of our society as we enter a new troubled century. 
~ CR Lawn, Fedco Seeds ~

 ...a personal journey that also stands as homage to a severely threatened American lifestyle and offers hope. 
~ John A. Nesbit, ToxicUniverse.com ~

 Terribly captivating and enlightening...a rich and revelatory exploration. 
~ Robert Sims, Palm Beach Daily News ~

 An inspiring, thoroughly moving portrait of organic farmer John Peterson that serves also as a chilling study of superstition and intolerance in the heartland. 
~ Jim Ridley, Nashville Scene ~

 A touching, humorous portrait of an eccentric farmer... 
~ Ray Pride, New City Chicago ~

 Peterson’s quirkiness and lovability were apparent from the first shot...the audience…laughed and cried in all the right places. 
~ Gayle Worland and Tom Alesia, Wisconsin State Journal ~

 The Real Dirt on Farmer John is ultimately a story about imagination and the American dream, no less so than if it were about wagon trains striking out west or poets spinning verse in Greenwich Village. 
~ Joshua Tanzer, OffOffOff ~
full review

For more reviews, and to see the high overall critics' rating of The Real Dirt, visit: rottenttomatoes.com and imdb.