IN THE NEWS
IN THE NEWS
PRESS KIT
Learn all about this amazing movie
PRESS KIT
Learn all about this amazing movie
Press
Selected Press Coverage
"Jim Allison, the brilliant, stubborn, down-to-earth and hopelessly lovable title character of Jim Allison: Breakthrough, may not initially look the part of a superman. But by the end of this absorbing, gracefully constructed and deeply moving documentary, he will have audiences wanting to join the fan club and get the T-shirt. This is a “just see it” movie, as in: Forget flowery language, redundant synopsis, clever paraphrasing or hyperbolic praise. Just see the dang thing."
- Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post
"As Breakthrough vividly illustrates, Allison — who’s currently Chairman of the Department of Immunology at Houston’s renowned MD Anderson Cancer Center — has made his mark by casting himself against type."
- Joe Leydon, Variety
"Haney paints a vivid portrait of Allison from boyhood to the present day, creating an empathetic hero for this true-life tale."
- Leonard Maltin, LeonardMaltin.com
"What shines through most in the film, though, is Allison’s dogged determination to find a cure for cancer, a quest that was—and continues to be—fueled by his repeated brushes with the disease and the loss of loved ones."
- Arthur N. Brodsky, Cancer Research Institute
“Breakthrough remains loyal to its academic source material in a way that's clear enough for any viewer to follow… [and] Haney seems to have made all the right filmmaking choices, from balancing the science and sentimental to picking his subject at the perfect time…”
- Nathan Mattise, Ars Technica
“Breakthrough demonstrates that the treatment is not a miracle, but the result of some wild but meticulous thinking by a true medical hero.”
- Caryn James, The Hollywood Reporter
“Breakthrough is an engaging and entertaining film because Allison is a fascinating subject. He’s blunt and honest and colorful.”
- Sophie Novack, Texas Observer
“In a field you’d never think of as having rock stars, Allison is a rock star of immunology. The filmmaker, Bill Haney, is a rock star among documentarians for bringing us this wonderful, hopeful film about a man and a Breakthrough achievement.”
- Bradley Gibson, Film Threat
“In a time when cynicism and skeptics run rampant, Breakthrough looks to offer a moment of comfort and hope via the story of Jim Allison.”
- Dino-Ray Ramos, Deadline Hollywood
Interviews and Additional Press
The Guardian - 'Some beautiful things are happening': behind Jim Allison's quest to cure cancer Allison is having fun and curing cancer
Salon - "Breakthrough's" James Allison is having fun and curing cancer
Sharp Magazine - "Jim Allison Won a Nobel Prize for His Cancer Breakthrough. But It Took Years for the Medical Community to Listen"
Los Angeles Times - Review: ‘Jim Allison: Breakthrough’ salutes a one-of-a-kind Nobel Prize-winning Texan
The New York Times - ‘Jim Allison: Breakthrough’ Review: Taking On Cancer
Boston Business Journal - Locally produced documentary on Nobel Prize-winning scientist, 'Breakthrough,' premieres Sunday
Culturally Obsessed - Bill Haney on his Doc ‘Breakthrough’ about Maverick Cancer-Fighting Scientist Jim Allison
Front Row Features - EXCLUSIVE: Filmmaker Trains His Lens on Unconventional Cancer Scientist
International Policy Digest - ‘Jim Allison: Breakthrough’ Review
Red Carpet Crash - Documentary Review: ‘Jim Allison: Breakthrough’
Film Threat - Interview with Director Bill Haney