Back to trending
Bound for Glory

Bound for Glory

Music · Drama · 1976

A biography of Woody Guthrie, one of America's greatest folk singers. He left his dust-devastated Texas home in the 1930s to find work, discovering the suffering and strength of America's working class.

Movie details

Bound for Glory

1976 Music · Drama 2h 28m

Critical arithmetic

One number, for now.

TMDB

6.9 / 10

Community rating

A biography of Woody Guthrie, one of America's greatest folk singers. He left his dust-devastated Texas home in the 1930s to find work, discovering the suffering and strength of America's working class.

CriticWise case file

What this film says about your taste.

Not a recommendation score. A measure of how closely the film’s taste signals resemble yours.

The archetype split

Who fights over Bound for Glory?

The split comes from the same five-axis model used by the test, not audience ratings or review sentiment.

Taste neighbourhood

Nearby on the taste map.

TMDB supplies the candidates. CriticWise reorders them by craft, strangeness, prestige, emotion, and pace.

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody

Music · 2022

The joyous, emotional, heartbreaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time. Tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom.

Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould

Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould

Drama · 1993

A collection of vignettes highlighting different aspects of the life, work, and character of the acclaimed Canadian classical pianist.

A Complete Unknown

A Complete Unknown

Drama · 2024

New York, early 1960s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music.

Jersey Boys

Jersey Boys

Music · 2014

A musical biopic of the Four Seasons—the rise, the tough times and personal clashes, and the ultimate triumph of a group of friends whose music became symbolic of a generation. Far from a mere tribute concert, it gets to the heart of the relationships at the centre of the group, with a special focus on frontman Frankie Valli, the small kid with the big falsetto.

Inside Llewyn Davis

Inside Llewyn Davis

Drama · 2013

In Greenwich Village in the early 1960s, gifted but volatile folk musician Llewyn Davis struggles with money, relationships, and his uncertain future.

La Bamba

La Bamba

Drama · 1987

Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens becomes an overnight rock 'n' roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called "Donna" that he wrote for his girlfriend. But as his star rises, Valens has conflicts with his jealous brother, Bob, and becomes haunted by a recurring nightmare of a plane crash just as he begins his first national tour alongside Buddy Holly.

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

Drama · 2025

Bruce Springsteen, a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggles to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past.

Cradle Will Rock

Cradle Will Rock

Drama · 1999

A true story of politics and art in the 1930s USA, centered around a leftist musical drama and attempts to stop its production.

Honkytonk Man

Honkytonk Man

Drama · 1982

During the Great Depression, a young boy leaves his family's Oklahoma farm to travel with his country musician uncle who is trying out for the Grand Ole Opry.

Beyond the Sea

Beyond the Sea

Drama · 2004

Based on the life and career of legendary entertainer, Bobby Darin, the biopic moves back and forth between his childhood and adulthood, to tell the tale of his life.

Where it lives

Watch in your region.

Cinema release signals and current streaming, rental, and purchase options for your region.

Streaming availability data supplied by JustWatch.

Names above the title

The people responsible.

Directed by

Hal Ashby

Written by

Robert Getchell

David Carradine

David Carradine

Woody Guthrie

Ronny Cox

Ronny Cox

Ozark Bule

Melinda Dillon

Melinda Dillon

Mary / Memphis Sue

Gail Strickland

Gail Strickland

Pauline

John Lehne

John Lehne

Locke

Ji-Tu Cumbuka

Ji-Tu Cumbuka

Slim Snedeger

Randy Quaid

Randy Quaid

Luther Johnson

Court is in session

Put Bound for Glory on trial.

Two incompatible taste archetypes. One film. Read the arguments, then issue a completely binding cultural ruling.

The defence The Prestige Tourist

“Sincerity is not manipulation.”

The film risks embarrassment to make emotion communal, and that openness is harder than fashionable detachment.

The prosecution The Popcorn Loyalist

“The strings are showing.”

Every cue tells you exactly what to feel and when, leaving sentiment to do the work character should have done.