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Janis: Little Girl Blue

  • Rated Not Rated
  • 1hr 43m

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Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Amy Berg

Producer:

Amy Berg, Alex Gibney, Jayne Goldsmith

Runtime:

1hr 43m

Synopsis

Musician Cat Power narrates this documentary on Janis Joplin's evolution into a star from letters that Joplin wrote over the years to her friends, family, and collaborators.

Cast

  • Cat Power
  • Karleen Bennett
  • Laura Joplin
  • Michael Joplin
  • J. Dave Moriaty
  • Jack Smith
  • Powell St. John
  • Jae Whitaker
  • Travis Rivers
  • Dave Getz

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.7
10.0K
2.7K
2.0K
RATINGS 5 FANS
3.7
  • Apr 11, 2016

    The continuing, stuttering attempts at getting a biopic of Janis Joplin off the ground are now such a Hollywood in-joke that it formed the basis for a running plot arc on 30 Rock. Watching Amy Berg's documentary, I wondered if it hadn't been made because Joplin's life…

    42 Likes
    Graham Williamson
    Graham Williamson
    Dec 10, 2025

    This is a perfect music documentary about Janis Joplin. The film takes a deep dive into its subject. Cat Power narratives the film reading as Janis from her letters and diary. It shows her evolution as a artist from folk to rock star. It shows her horrible highschool…

    31 Likes
    Deaner50
    Deaner50
    Jun 12, 2016

    The most amazing concert ever caught on film is Janis with Big Brother and the Holding Company at the Monterey Pop Festival. Holy cow, when she sings Ball and Chain, I get teary-eyed every time. This doc really focuses on her pain. Interviews with lots of people who…

    21 Likes
    RetroHound
    RetroHound
  •
    Dec 5, 2020

    A very standard and formulaic approach to the complex and tumultuous life of Janis Joplin, a musician that made a much bigger impression than her own music. A film that tries to cover her whole life in less than two hours is always destined to fail. Still, it offers much…

    18 Likes
    maneleeo
    maneleeo
    Apr 21, 2023

    There's a wonderful clip here from The Hollywood Palace TV show in 1968, where Don Adams interviews Janis and the joke is that square mainstream America can't understand what she's saying. She tries to explain her relationship with an audience and it's like they're speaking…

    10 Likes
    Nick Zieminski
    Nick Zieminski
    Oct 6, 2020

    And I know how you feel And I know you ain't got no reason to go on And I know you feel that you must be through Oh honey, go on and sit right back down I want you to count, oh, count your fingers Ah, my unhappy, my unlucky And my little, oh, girl blue I know you're…

    10 Likes
    Yosmel Araujo
    Yosmel Araujo
  •
    Jul 25, 2017

    Few singers had the vocal dexterity of Janis Joplin, or the inner demons that saw her succumb to a tragic demise at the tender age of 27. A bona-fide blues singer whose voice could strip paint, Joplin was a fearless live performer who overcame many obstacles on her way to…

    10 Likes
    Andy Summers 🤠
    Andy Summers 🤠
    Mar 24, 2025

    Janis Joplin fills the soul

    9 Likes
    liammuir
    liammuir
    Feb 24, 2024

    i could cry on the spot just thinking about this

    10 Likes
    olmresi
    olmresi
See All Reviews on Letterboxd.com

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

74
metacritic
Based on 20 Critics
6.4

USER SCORE (17)

Generally favorable reviews based on 17 Reviews
60
Feb 1, 2016

Although packed with compelling archive footage, this never quite gets into Joplin's head, heart or soul.

View full review
Metacritic review by David Parkinson
David Parkinson
Empire
50
Nov 24, 2015

As the film heaps all its sadnesses on us, the rest of Joplin languishes unexamined.

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Metacritic review by Alan Scherstuhl
Alan Scherstuhl
Village Voice
75
Nov 22, 2015

It grounds us so effectively in Joplin's emotional realm as to partially rekindle the social transcendence that her voice must have represented for its owner.

View full review
Metacritic review by Chuck Bowen
Chuck Bowen
Slant Magazine
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is Janis: Little Girl Blue?
The movie is 1hr 43min long.
What's Janis: Little Girl Blue about?
Musician Cat Power narrates this documentary on Janis Joplin's evolution into a star from letters that Joplin wrote over the years to her friends, family, and collaborators.
Who's the cast of Janis: Little Girl Blue?
  • Cat Power as Janis Joplin
  • Karleen Bennett as Herself - Janis Joplin's Childhood Friend
  • Laura Joplin as Herself - Janis Joplin's Sister
  • Michael Joplin as Himself - Janis Joplin's Brother
  • J. Dave Moriaty as Himself - Janis Joplin's Schoolfriend
  • Jack Smith as Himself - Janis Joplin's Schoolfriend
  • Powell St. John as Himself
  • Jae Whitaker as Herself
  • Travis Rivers as Himself
  • Dave Getz as Himself
Who's the director behind Janis: Little Girl Blue?
Amy Berg directed Janis: Little Girl Blue.
Who produced Janis: Little Girl Blue?
Amy Berg, Alex Gibney and Jayne Goldsmith produced Janis: Little Girl Blue.