"The Pulitzer at 100" is a documentary created independently by Kirk Simon. Simon worked with executive producers Nikkos Frangos and George T. Lemons. "The Pulitzer at 100" stars some of the past winners of the prize as they explain the process and the inspiration behind their writings. According to the Telegraph, the documentary itself shows that many of the prizes were pointless in regard to the original man himself, Joseph Pulitzer. They stated that the achievement of Joseph Pulitzer was trivialized by the documentary. "The Pulitzer at 100" stars past winners such as Nicholas D.
Kristof, Paula Vogel, and Tracy K. Smith.
The documentary has received criticism
"The Pulitzer at 100" has received an immense amount of criticism. A report from THR stated that Simon's documentary is exactly the kind of material that would not have won the award. Critics have called the style a confusing mash-up and have claimed that it has no real flow from one segment to the other. As Simon tried to fit in 100 of the winning pieces and the artists, the documentary lost some continuity.
Not only has the documentary shed light on the apparent flippant nature of the award, it has also given past winners a new voice. For example, novelist Michael Cummingham readily admitted in the documentary that he does not believe he should have been awarded the Pulitzer for his novel titled "The Hours." He goes on to dismiss the joys of winning the award and tells Simon that he keeps it in his sock drawer.
He is not the only artist to state that they should not have won the award and critics appear to agree with their claims.
A celebration of artistic work
While Simon is receiving criticism, the documentary does a good job of celebrating the work of past winners. Celebrities agreed to take part in this venture and the likes of Helen Mirren and Martin Scorsese read some poems and pieces.
"The Pulitzer at 100" also gives artists the chance to talk about their creative process and divulge into what the prize meant to them. While there are certainly a few artists who believe they won the prize for the wrong reasons, there are those who celebrate the award. They feel honored to have been nominated, let alone to have won the Pulitzer Prize.
"The Pulitzer at 100" is an hour and a half long. It has yet to be confirmed for theaters but those interested in watching the investigation into the Pulitzer Prize can find tickets online.
