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Stephen Dale Fielding, Verna Hagler, Bernice Hagler, Brenda Hickam, Doug Hickam ... see more see more... , Tonya Gregory , Steve James , Stevie Fielding

In the early '80s, Steve James was a student at Southern Illinois University who volunteered for the local Big Brother program and served as a mentor for Stephen Dale Fielding (Stevie for short), a tr... read more read more...oubled 11-year-old boy with unhappy family relationships. Given up by his mother when her husband decided he didn't want him in the house, Stevie was primarily raised by his step-grandmother and had already begun to reveal a stubborn and easily distracted personality when he met James. After he graduated from college, James lost contact with Fielding, but in 1995, after James had gone on to a career as a documentary filmmaker (and won acclaim for his film Hoop Dreams), he was reintroduced to Stevie, only to learn that his life had taken a number of wrong turns. After a number of scrapes with the law and on-going battles with his family, Fielding had been charged with molesting his eight-year-old cousin, and he'd opted for a trial (which could lead to a twenty year prison sentence) rather than receive counseling, due in part to his experiences in a mental hospital. James and his wife (who counsels sex offenders) wanted to offer Stevie whatever help they could, and James opted to make a film about him, hoping to discover where Stevie's life and gone wrong and how his tragic turn of fate could have been prevented. At the same time, James (like many others in Stevie's life) began to wonder what they could have done, and to what degree they let him down, with James torn between his feelings for his friend and his need to portray all sides honestly. Featuring interviews with Fielding, his family, and his friends, the documentary Stevie examines how society's safety net failed to catch one young man before it was too late. Stevie was shown in competition at the 2003 Sundance Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

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82% liked it

2,496 ratings

Critics

91% liked it

74 critics

R, 2 hr. 25 min.

Directed by: Steve James

Release Date: April 11, 2003

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DVD Release Date: September 9, 2003

Stats: 145 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (145)

  • BantamDraper
    March 30, 2010
    BantamDraper
    Heart wrenching and real, this documentary shows what on the surface appears to be simply an undereducated young man. As it unravels we begin to see more of the troubling details of his life. Very well done documentary.
  • IMTammyP
    September 10, 2007
    IMTammyP
    When Steve James, director of docs like Hoop Dreams, was in college he was a Big Brother to a local boy with some difficulties in his life. Having relocated after college, the filmmaker decided to visit his former home and check in on this boy 10 years later. This can be hard t... read moreo watch at times, but somehow I couldn't turn away from it.
  • duckdaotsu
    February 27, 2007
    duckdaotsu
    haunting doumentary about a boy who doesn't quite understand what crime he committed, from dedicated film makers ensuring the truth is told. The outcome of Stevie's life jars us -- for years.
  • appolloblu
    January 28, 2007
    appolloblu
    What a crazy cast of characters, even though I saw this Doc a while ago it still gives me the creeps.
  • itwasashark
    July 18, 2006
    itwasashark
    There's nothing particularily special about this film. It's quite simple, in fact. A man who once was a "Big Brother" to a troubled boy returns years later to reunite with him, Stevie, and to see what had become of him. Stevie has grown up hard and tries to wear a skin of leat... read moreher but there are times in the film where you can see right through to the little boy that never got help. Seeing Stevie as a person is what makes this film important but it's the mark left on the filmmaker that gives this movie weight after its ended.

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Critic Reviews

Terry Lawson
August 14, 2003
Terry Lawson, Detroit Free Press

Stevie is a tough movie to watch and an even tougher one to leave, because once you're involved you're implicated. Full Review

Ann Hornaday
May 9, 2003
Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

A spectacle of suffering and liberal guilt.

Desson Thomson
May 9, 2003
Desson Thomson, Washington Post

A powerful chronicle of a human life.

Chris Vognar
May 1, 2003
Chris Vognar, Dallas Morning News

A haunting documentary/ personal essay that provokes violently mixed feelings toward both subject and filmmaker. Full Review

Steven Rea
April 24, 2003
Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer

Filmmaker James -- whose wife is a social worker -- should be applauded for his courage and commitment.

Colin Covert
April 18, 2003
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune

Some viewers will feel moved to tears of compassion, and others will point to Stevie Fielding as an argument for more barbed wire on the prison walls. But there's no denying this is an important film. Full Review

Bruce Westbrook
April 18, 2003
Bruce Westbrook, Houston Chronicle

The road of Stevie is a rough ride, and at 145 minutes, it's a long one. But in an age of so-called reality shows that are no more than hyped entertainment, it is a rewarding if distressing look at fl... Full Review

Wesley Morris
April 18, 2003
Wesley Morris, Boston Globe

Stevie is a fascinating, irritating movie, with a portrait of a hopelessly troubled young man at its center. Full Review

Eleanor Ringel Gillespie
April 17, 2003
Eleanor Ringel Gillespie, Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Bring Kleenex. Full Review

Geoff Pevere
April 11, 2003
Geoff Pevere, Toronto Star

For all Stevie implies about the guilt, contradictions and confused motivations of its filmmaker, at bottom it is a deeply humane and touching experience. Full Review

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Stevie Trivia

  • Which character said this, "Oh, that's OK. I've got a bigger crown. It's got a gecko on it. Look at him shake! Go, Stevie, go!" on Madagascar?  Answer »
  • What movie had the title song sung by Don Felder, but also had tracks from Journey, Stevie Nicks, Blue Oyster Cult, and Black Sabbath?  Answer »
  • What song is played at the beginning of IRobot?  Answer »
  • What movie did Stevie Wonder win an Academy Award for Best Original Song?   Answer »
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