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Kaleil Isaza Tuzman, Tom Herman

Two men discover the perils of going into business with their friends as they observe the rise and fall of their Internet firm over the course of its first (and only) year in this documentary produced... read more read more... by D.A. Pennebaker. Tom Herman and Kaleil Isaza Tuzman first met while they were in high school; they studied business together in college, and they remained close friends after graduating, often bandying about the idea of working together. In May of 1999, they made their dream a reality and opened Govworks.com, a Web-based firm devoted to helping people deal more efficiently with local governments (it began as a notion to pay parking tickets online). Govworks.com soon exploded, going from a one-room office with a tiny staff to over 200 employees and a bankroll of $50 million. However, like many other Internet firms of their day, Govworks.com was not destined to succeed, and by January of 2001, the company had let nearly all its employees go, and was eventually swallowed up by a larger firm, with Herman and Isaza Tuzman having little to show for their efforts. Just as significantly, after their initial burst of enthusiasm, Herman and Isaza Tuzman found themselves locking horns, as they displayed their naivete about the nuts and bolts of making an Internet start-up work; Herman's gentle nature clashed with Isaza Tuzman's all-business approach, and eventually Herman was forced out of the company he had helped to found by his longtime friend. Directors Jehane Noujaim and Chris Hegedus shot Startup.com using digital video equipment, and to keep the film as timely as possible, screened a digital copy of the film, which went through its final edit only days before its premiere at the 2001 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Flixster Users

66% liked it

2,130 ratings

Critics

92% liked it

93 critics

R, 1 hr. 43 min.

Directed by: Chris Hegedus, Jehane Noujaim

Release Date: May 11, 2001

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DVD Release Date: September 18, 2001

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Stats: 119 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (119)

  • kenstachnik
    June 15, 2007
    kenstachnik
    As someone who grew up in Silicon Valley...this movie hits real close to home.
  • cacutshaw
    February 8, 2008
    cacutshaw
    In terms of it's historical value, this documentary is very good in documenting the whole startup boom, unfortunately I just couldn't keep that interested in the subjects they had chosen.
  • KLFilmmaker
    August 11, 2006
    KLFilmmaker
    Good doc.
  • affordablewebsitesde
    March 11, 2012
    affordablewebsitesde
    This was a great documentary, and from someone's who started businesses and worked with others to start theirs, it was all the more interesting to watch them start their "dot com" from the ground up and learn from their mistakes.
  • maroonaggie99
    March 6, 2007
    maroonaggie99
    Two childhood buddies began a startup to get in on the dot com boom. One of them is aggressive in making it a success. The other has other priorities at stake which eventually leads to the suffering of his friendship with his friend. Watch this to find out what happens to the ... read morestartup and their friendship. This documentary also provides insight on the dot com era itself and what some of the hype was about during this time.
  • KentAron
    September 11, 2006
    KentAron
    Brilliant fake documentary about fake companies, so close to the real start up boom. Watching it all fall apart is brilliant. The best film about computers in this style since "Pirates of Silicon Valley"

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Critic Reviews

Roger Moore
September 14, 2001
Roger Moore, Orlando Sentinel

Too short of detail to really serve as an object lesson to those who follow in their footsteps.

Richard Schickel
June 25, 2001
Richard Schickel, TIME Magazine

The pain and puzzlement of its principals as things inexorably fall apart is palpable and saddening. Full Review

Joe Baltake
June 25, 2001
Joe Baltake, Sacramento Bee

This movie explains why friends should never go into business together. It's not exactly a new insight, but Tuzman and Herman are so vivid they make it seem revelatory. Full Review

Michael O'Sullivan
June 15, 2001
Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post

Talk about your fabulous story arcs. Full Review

Rita Kempley
June 11, 2001
Rita Kempley, Washington Post

Astute and entertaining. Full Review

Susan Stark
May 25, 2001
Susan Stark, Detroit News

Startup.com humanizes the dot-com goldrush that in the last few years has left a handful of millionaires and hundreds of go-for-broke paupers in its wake. Full Review

Terry Lawson
May 25, 2001
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

The best movies, it's often said, are happy accidents. Startup.com proves the dictum while being smart and responsive enough to react to the impending train wreck.

Eric Harrison
May 25, 2001
Eric Harrison, Houston Chronicle

Nearly two years in the making, Startup.com nevertheless arrives in theaters feeling almost like breaking news. Full Review

Roger Ebert
May 25, 2001
Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

. As an inside view of the bursting of the Internet bubble, Startup.com is definitive. Full Review

Chris Vognar
May 24, 2001
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

Startup.com brings you to an unstaged, evolving economic jungle where survivors are very fortunate -- and friendships are at high risk. Full Review

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