Mayor Pete (2021) Poster

(2021)

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4/10
Lots of excuses
MajBlade219 November 2021
I wont go into Pete the politician this should be about the movie. It seems that this whole movie seems more like a campaign ad. Alot of clips are about his homosexuality and how he fought the good "fight" against the horrible Trump. Even when he is shown being criticized he looks thoughtful and like the white gay savior. He says he came back to south bend because people leave there but it seems like the whole film he is absolutely trying to leave south bend behind. And he did coming into the Biden administration. He is obviously very smart and talented but It seems the only ones that like him are rich older liberal white people. He could be president or flame out and be forgotten one thing before the facts were out of the shooting in south bend he was saying it was systematic racism and police white supremacy.
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1/10
Fluff & Stuff
rehconcepts18 November 2021
This is more of an advertisement than a documentary, it explores no balance or opposing side of its subjects so as a viewer your led down a path of how the main subject wants to be perceived vs a look at who this person may really be. I am more let down by the director Jesse Moss than the subjects, he was obviously influenced and maybe a bit buddy struck in his attraction to the main subject - expected more and got a lot less than even somewhat a true document of this unsuccessful presidential candidate.
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10/10
Actually watched it
monicamdalmau26 October 2021
I saw this film at the Chicago premiere. A surprising character study rather than a campaign documentary., though it still captures some of the drama of a presidential primary.

Form the obvious troll ratings that are spamming this film, it's clear some folks are still very pressed about Mayor Pete coming out of nowhere to succeed in the way that he did. What makes this response even more interesting is the content of the documentary itself: a portrait of a reserved, unassuming, and sincere man, who seemingly never lets whirlwind of politics get to him. It's interesting to see the vitriol he inspires from bigots on the right (something covered briefly in the film) and bitter folks on the further left (something left out for the most part).

Chasten is a standout in the film. As much as the documentary focuses on Buttigieg's stoic demeanor, you see a tenderness to him when he is with Chasten and it's striking.

It's a worthwhile documentary, if anything to confirm that with Buttigieg what you see really is what you get.
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7/10
Don't believe the 1 star nonse se
daninwa@hotmail.com27 July 2022
While it may not be the greatest documentary by any standard. It's a pretty objective and entertaining look at secretary Pete's presidential campaign and these 1 star attack reviews are just from homophobic conservatives.
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1/10
Cringworthy at Best
tywestlake12 November 2021
I tried to watch this and give it a chance, but thus us just a long, long campaign piece that has no relevance with reality, especially the way we are heading.
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10/10
Eye opening
Before_Sunset26 October 2021
Got to see this at the NY premiere at NewFest. Eye opening is the best term to describe it. You hear about someone in the media, but it's all surface level and it's all spun by the media to whatever bias. This documentary didnt try to paint them as perfect couple--it showed them as people, like you and I. I liked that the documentary didnt leave out any of the controversies and didn't try to paint the campaign as if it was perfect. Whatever your political views are, this is really worth the watch. This is a documentary not about politicians about real people, you and I, who happen to be in politics. If you're a human, this will warm your heart. Bring the tissues.
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7/10
How Presidential is Pete?
EUyeshima25 December 2021
Sure, it felt like an extended campaign commercial, but it's hard not to like and admire Pete Buttigieg and his devoted husband Chasen after watching this 2021 documentary, which tracks his trajectory through the Big Tuesday primaries. Tough moments are captured intact like his confrontational South Bend town hall after the officer shooting. His resilience and even demeanor were put to the test when he posed a real threat to the other Democratic candidates. It made me wonder if he could be Biden's successor or if he's tough enough to put Kamala on the defensive.
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1/10
Seemed like a premature film about accomplishments not yet made
aprovence16 November 2021
It seemed like a celebration of someone who has not accomplished anything yet. I don't understand. It seems like the documentary a sports team gets about their championship season except, in this case, Mayor Pete has not won a game yet.
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10/10
Inspiring documentary
lauriebelliott25 October 2021
I saw this at the Chicago International Film Festival. It was very interesting to see a Presidential Campaign from the inside, including seldom seen debate prep. The film also really captured the relationship between Pete and Chasten, and what it's like to stick to your principles while campaigning across the country. A refreshing, interesting film.
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7/10
Inside look at Mayor Pete's unexpected upstart and inspiring presidential run
paul-allaer12 November 2021
As "Mayor Pete" (2021 release; 97 min.) opens, we are introduced to the mayor of South Bend, IN, Pete Buttigieg. We are at "One Year Before the Iowa Caucus" and Pete is a complete unknown outside of his home town, recently married to his boyfriend, and yet thriving in that conservative environment. Nobody has ever made the leap from mayor to President of this country, but Pete decides to give it a go... At this point we are 10 min into the film.

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from writer-producer-director Jesse moss ("The Overnighters"). Here he is given seemingly unfettered access to the Pete Buttigieg 2019-20 presidential campaign. Just think of this: 15-16 months worth of filming is reduced to its very essence of a mere hour and a half, but it is more than enough to give us the inside scoop of what Mayor Pete stands for and how he went about his campaign. Spoiler: Pete did not win! This is the true measure of a great documentary: we know the outcome beforehand, yet I was transfixed from start to finish. Check out the scene in New York when Pete meets with Rev. Al Sharpton in front of an overwhelming press corps, yet keeping his cool as he gains bigger national attention day by day. The movie doesn't shy away from the fact that Pete is a married gay man who faces questions like "Do you think America is ready for someone like you?" on a daily basis. Just watch how Pete handles it. As for the 1 and 2 star reviews on here: I can guarantee that none of them have seen the documentary, and hence of course don't post a single comment about the documentary itself. All they can say is what their political believes are and that the film is "trash" and "propaganda". Those are the same people who have zero problem supporting a guy who literally tried to stage a coup and overthrow the US government on January 6, all because he didn't like the election results. For shame.

"Mayor Pete" premiered last month at the Chicago film festival to good buzz. It's now airing on Amazon Prime (where I caught it) and also available on Amazon Instant Video. If you are into politics (regardless of which party you support), I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
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1/10
Not enough
funcfish20 October 2021
I found this to be lacking content and it really failed to resonate. Feels like just another pan on just another Washington insider. It could have been better if they highlighted more of his accomplishments.
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1/10
Really long feel good political ad.
JustUs20012 December 2021
Warning: Spoilers
So this was like 50% about him being gay, 49% about his race identity, and 1% policy. Like all of the other rich white liberals anymore everything is about identity politics. The most striking thing about this was the way they attempted to frame the police shooting that occurred in his home town as being about white supremacy and police brutality at first, just like our imbecile president. Only now we know that almost zero of all police shootings are due to criminals refusing to follow police commands while breaking the law. Well whatever it was just another left wing fluff piece about his personal identity politics with almost no actual content.
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10/10
Beautifully captures a new kind of politics. Being human.
lisa-connelly7125 October 2021
I've seen so many reviews that completely miss the point of what this documentary is all about! Jesse Moss and team did a wonderful job in capturing the essence of the person behind the campaign and the relationship with his fantastic husband, Chasten, that continued to fuel him as he catapulted onto the national stage. Whether you were a supporter of his presidential bid and want to relive those exciting months or are interested in better understanding why Pete broke through to people all over the country, you have to see this film. It offers humor, heart, and hope!
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7/10
4.0 out of 5 stars Inside look at Mayor Pete's unexpected upstart and inspiring presidential run
paul-allaer15 November 2021
As "Mayor Pete" (2021 release; 97 min.) opens, we are introduced to the mayor of South Bend, IN, Pete Buttigieg. We are at "One Year Before the Iowa Caucus" and Pete is a complete unknown outside of his home town, recently married to his boyfriend, and yet thriving in that conservative environment. Nobody has ever made the leap from mayor to President of this country, but Pete decides to give it a go... At this point we are 10 min into the film.

Couple of comments: this is the latest documentary from writer-producer-director Jesse moss ("The Overnighters"). Here he is given seemingly unfettered access to the Pete Buttigieg 2019-20 presidential campaign. Just think of this: 15-16 months worth of filming is reduced to its very essence of a mere hour and a half, but it is more than enough to give us the inside scoop of what Mayor Pete stands for and how he went about his campaign. Spoiler: Pete did not win! This is the true measure of a great documentary: we know the outcome beforehand, yet I was transfixed from start to finish. Check out the scene in New York when Pete meets with Rev. Al Sharpton in front of an overwhelming press corps, yet keeping his cool as he gains bigger national attention day by day. The movie doesn't shy away from the fact that Pete is a married gay man who faces questions like "Do you think America is ready for someone like you?" on a daily basis. Just watch how Pete handles it. As for the many 1 star reviews on here: I can guarantee that none of them have seen the documentary, and hence of course don't post a single comment about the documentary itself. All they can say is what their political believes are and that the film is "trash" and "propaganda". Those are the same people who have zero problem supporting a guy who literally tried to stage a coup and overthrow the US government on January 6, all because he didn't like the election results. For shame.

"Mayor Pete" premiered last month at the Chicago film festival to good buzz. It's now airing on Amazon Prime (where I caught it) and also available on Amazon Instant Video. If you are into politics (regardless of which party you support), I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
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1/10
This isn't a documentary it's a fairytale.
berg-7453210 April 2022
What do you get when you combine "Big Tech" and the mainstream/legacy media with their shared and undeniable political bias, a fairytale in the form of a documentary. This is possibly the first campaign ad of the 2024 presidential election and like every other campaign ad it leaves out any negatives and exaggerates the meager accomplishments in an effort to hide their unqualified candidate. This man as Transportation Secretary ignored the supply chain issue when he could no longer ignore the supply chain issue claimed it was another example of Russian disinformation when that was proven a lie he said it wasn't a big deal when that turned out to be a lie he said it was being exaggerated by Republicans another lie, the worst was yet to come. As the supply chain issue helped Biden created inflation to the brink of hyperinflation Biden the Democrats as a whole and our friends in the mainstream media claimed inflation was good mayor Pete toeing the company line said it wasn't only a good thing it proved the economy was surging which of course is impossible since the economy stagnates when people can't buy things because of empty shelves. As Transportation Secretary he's had an ever changing position on the issue that's central to his job and as Biden created inflation has caused an increase in the cost of a family of 4 to feed clothe house themselves by almost $1000 a month he Biden the Democrats as a whole and their pals in the media clearly don't care about those of us with the least suffering the most. This man has spent his entire time in Biden's cabinet ignoring lying key issues because of party politics combined with his incompetence.
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10/10
Beautiful Story
deminente-7537925 October 2021
It was a historic campaign centered around belonging. Pete gave so many people hope and this movie was such a wonderful reminder of why people stepped up and supported him. Bring tissues because you will definitely cry!
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1/10
Borrrrrring
pdudrich11 February 2022
A political film that starts at 0 and never gets better. A waste of time on a person that will not go down in history. Not only is it a terrible political documentary but I don't know how many more Pete public appearances I could sit through. Do yourself a favor and watch something else. Your brain will thank you for it.
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10/10
RELIVE THE PETE CAMPAIGN!
bmspwork26 October 2021
This film was extremely moving. It had a definite storyline and content--Pete's campaign for POTUS. The imagery was beautiful with lovely closeups, humorous behind-the-scenes moments, and comments. It showed the happy triumphant times as well as the rough times. While the campaign staff, in a misguided attempt to help Pete, criticized him for being unemotional, all the while Pete was telegraphing great emotions in what he said and in his body language and facial expressions. It wasn't necessary for us to learn his private life and history to relate to this film--it was about the campaign and it covered it beautifully. This viewer cried through most of it, reliving so many important Pete moments.
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1/10
Mayor Pete is a completely corporate owned politician
PurpleCarpool5 February 2022
The only thing that I appreciate about Mayor Pete is the fact that he is the first major openly gay person running for president. That's it...

Besides that, he just a horrible opportunist that completely sold out to every and all corporate institutions: Wall Street, the pharmaceutical industry, the military industrial complex, big oil, etc.

Mayor Pete is just a further example of how neoliberalism (an ant-democratic governing philosophy where citizens have little or no power over anything important in their lives), has taken over both political parties in the United States.

I made myself watch this horrible documentary about a man who believes in nothing but his own advancement so I could write an honest review on the terribleness of the documentary Mayor Pete. It idoes, however, well represent the complete vapidity of the person himself.
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1/10
Leftist Garbage
pappahope13 February 2022
The most useless and unproductive transportation secretary we've ever had. Only canning position by way of illegitimate Marxist regime who stole the 2020 elections. Spending more time turning our cars into spying machines rather than dealing with the supply line crisis.
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9/10
US - World Leadership: Statesman Buttigieg
etenn0126 October 2021
An insightful look at much needed, well balance, conscientious truly thoughtful human leadership rarely seen in modern and recent US politics. Mayor Pete Buttigieg is a Statesman who will be around for a long time. Rarely has someone of this nature decided to dedicate his life at such a young age to the service of others. Buttigieg from his humble beginning offers hope for the future of U. S. leadership throughout the world. A++ I look forward to seeing much more of this bright and caring person..
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1/10
Yes it is that Bad
ty-sharpe7 April 2022
When you realize how uneducated this dude really is, zero experience in anything and it clearly shows here. Whoever thought this would make this dude look good.
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10/10
Fabulous documentary
ahjjibb26 October 2021
Extremely well done and inspiring. Hope to see President Pete as the sequel. He is a great servant leader and this movie really captured his genuineness and brilliance extremely well.
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1/10
Is ZERO Stars an Option?
dan-can-do11 August 2022
Looks like Im not alone in my rating. I got through 40 minutes and that was enough. They try and tout his accomplishments but he's been a failure as Trans Secretary. He comes off as the token gay in the administration who should be fired for his job performance. Possibly one of the worst documentaries ever produced. If you're considering watching this make it a hard pass. Not worth the time as anything on Prime is a better click than this pathetic tripe.
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9/10
A new angle for a political campaign documentary
sophelet-1047726 October 2021
Unlike the standard documentary type about a political campaign, with competitors set up as enemies and the set-up seeming to make this a campaigning vehicle, this film takes the audience into the realm of relationships between the candidate and his spouse, his campaign team, and the internal questions and conflicts. I found this much more satisfying and insightful than documentaries that treat campaigns as if they were major league sports events. I came away from this with even greater respect for the main figures. Now I would like to see the other films by this producer/ director/ writer team, too.
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