the film: sexism within gospel, the passing of traditions from the older generation to the younger, and the sacrifices musicians must make forsaking commercial success for devotion to God. It has a 92% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes from twelve reviews. Rolling Stone, People, Time, and Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert on At the Movies named it one of the best films of 1983, and New York placed it at number 31 on their list of the 50 Best Documentaries of All Time in 2019. Ebert gave the film four stars out of four, writing, "Say Amen, Somebody" is the most joyful movie I've seen in a very long time. It is also one of the best musicals and one of the most interesting documentaries", going further to call the film "a masterpiece of research, diligence and direction". Richard Schickel in Time called Say Amen, Somebody "marvelously infectious", writing that he enjoyed the personalities of the subjects: Dorsey's zeal and showmanship despite his age and frailty, and Campbell's quiet aspirations in contrast to her husband's desire for her to stay home. He states, "The film is shrewd in its selection of these moments. There are just enough of them to ground in a recognizable reality what could have been merely a well-shot and -edited compilation of irresistible music. But they are never so many that they interfere with the film's soaring flights of song." In The New York Times, Janet Maslin, like all other critics, praised the music specifically, calling it "joyful, communal, and deeply moving". Nearly forty years later, Wesley Morris in the same publication wrote about the film's restoration, calling it "mighty yet somehow modest", explaining, "the lasting power of the movie might be as a rare document of gospel skill and strategy". Likewise, Richard Harrington writing in The Washington Post enjoyed the intimacy of the cinematography. He calls it the "brightest, funniest, most joyful – and certainly the most inspirational film you're likely to come across in a long time... if you can resist it it's time to get your pulse checked." He observes that Willie Mae Ford Smith does not sing for appearances; she sings because she believes. Noting that the film was financed by public funds, Harrington says, "never have tax dollars been better spent" and that it has "enough warmth to melt an iceberg". In the Los Angeles Times, Sheila Benson calls it "joyful