The film was shown at the 1983
Edinburgh Film Festival, where it was one of a few
independent films singled out for praise by critic Steve McIntyre in an otherwise disappointing event. In a review for
The New York Times, critic
Janet Maslin cited the film as an example of "documentary film making ... at its most laissez faire", lamenting that "Every discussion is allowed to proceed far beyond its natural conclusion". She criticised the filmmakers' reluctance to rein in Hayden's "diffuseness of thought", "stilted" cinematography, inclusion of trivial and uninteresting details from the interviews, and their nonchalant and distanced attitude toward the actor. Maslin's review concludes: == References ==