Critics agree the HBO's By the People, a record of the Obama campaign produced by Edward Norton, offers behind-the-scenes access but no real scoops. But what some see as a heartwarming tale of triumph, others find fawning. A sampling:
- The naivete of the filmmakers shows through for Hank Stuever. "Gradually, their access seems to dry up without them really knowing it," he writes in the Washington Post. What's left "is really more like a souvenir for campaign staffers."