press

"...Perhaps the strongest thing about Heaven Adores You is that it greatly succeeds where the few published biographies have failed, telling Smith's story free of exploit and sensationalism while giving an extensive overview of his life and career. There are no in-depth analyses of his upbringing, specifics of his substance abuse, or a detailed account of his death. It instead gives a more well-rounded account of the musician's life, showing his sense of humor, wit and charm. Heaven Adores You will serve as a measuring stick to which future films are compared. This is entirely dependent on, of course, if anyone dares to make one and with Heaven Adores You finally released, the need for another one is highly questionable. This is the definitive Elliott Smith biography here, folks, and whether you're a casual listener or obsessive fan, Heaven Adores You is a must-see." ----MilwaukeeMag, 2015

"...Heaven Adores You, also the title of a song by the Smith-adoring indie peers Earlimart, is a more than apt name for the film. At its heart, Rossi says, it is a “love letter” — a glowing, thoughtful, deeply researched love letter — which chooses to celebrate rather than denigrate what Smith wrought. Our impulse is often to dig and dig, to find the dirt beneath the veneer of celebrity, but it’s possible that for an artist so brilliant and belabored as Smith, with a staggering proportion of beautiful work, such a disinterment is neither necessary nor valuable. Every artist has dirt to be dug up, and to wallow in it only obscures what has been accomplished. One hopes that, once the body leaves the soul, the dirt can go with it, too." ----Will Butler, LA Review

"...Rather than positioning Heaven Adores You as a film that attempts to reveal facts about Elliott Smith or romanticise his life as part of a teleological descent into depression and addiction, Rossi creates something that focuses on Smith's legacy, his universality and drives home the view that his music is going to be around far longer than mythologies surrounding his drug use, personality and his death. Rossi has created a remarkably refreshing look at Smith in his decisions to do this, and whist it isn't likely to satiate die-hard fans, Heaven Adores You is both a respectful and satisfying study of a singer-songwriter who has often received neither." ----4:3 Film Review, Melbourne International Film Festival 2014

"...A tasteful, haunting portrait of the life and music of late Portland icon Elliott Smith, Heaven Adores You by Nickolas Rossi serves as a sigh of relief for Smith's fans. The introverted musician died of mysterious stab wounds, much like another beloved songwriter from the Pacific Northwest, Kurt Cobain. Many feared that any film made about Elliott would miss the point and devote all its energy to his unexplained death. Rossi, however, focuses the film squarely on Elliott's music, using archival interviews and photographs, and personal accounts from Elliott's friends and family to uncover their true beauty. The film will uncover new layers of Elliott's music for longtime fans, and newcomers will find a fascinating introduction to the work of the soft-spoken prodigy." -----Way Too Indie, 2015

"...A sweet, generous film, as sweet and generous as its subject was known to be. The film is at its best when resurrecting the 90's Portland scene that shaped Smith musically and personally, drawing on intimate, original interviews with Smith's friends and colleagues of the period." ----Andrew Hultkrans, Artforum

"...Heaven Adores You is, quite uniquely, for Elliott Smith's fans, both in terms of its lo-fi aesthetic, which recalls the glory days of the scene from which he emerged, and its emotional content, which hurts as good as any Smith song. Watching the film feels just like discovering him on DIY mixtapes so many years ago. Heaven Adores You is as powerful a portrait of grief and closure as it is of Smith himself." ----Consequence of Sound, 2014

"The film acknowledges that these troubled pieces are part of Smith’s story, but it doesn’t exploit them in order to paint the familiar silhouette of the tortured artist so often forged by these sorts of biographical projects. Instead, it gives audiences a moving portrait of a truly singular talent who loved and was loved by so many. Heaven Adores You doesn’t speculate. It celebrates. And in this way, to borrow from the man himself, the film feels remarkably like “a fond farewell to a friend.”----Pop Matters, 2015