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Peter Travers

Peter Travers is an American film critic, journalist, and television presenter best known for his decades-long career reviewing films and conducting celebrity interviews for major outlets like Rolling Stone and ABC News. Travers began his prominent tenure as a senior editor and top film reviewer at People magazine before transitioning to Rolling Stone in 1989, where he became the lead movie critic and has continued contributing reviews. He later expanded into television, serving as a reviewer for ABC News and Good Morning America while hosting the bi-weekly entertainment program Popcorn with Peter Travers, featuring discussions with actors, directors, and Broadway stars such as Anne Hathaway, Matt Damon, and Steven Spielberg. In recent years, Travers has also launched his independent platform, The Travers Take, a blog offering in-depth analysis of films, television, streaming content, awards races, and festival coverage, with ongoing reviews as of late 2025. A prolific author, Travers has written influential books on cinema, including The 1000 Best Movies on DVD, Produced and Abandoned, The "A" List, The "B" List, and The "X" Factor, compiling critiques and insights from his career. He holds an M.A. in English from New York University and has earned recognition in the field as a former chair of the New York Film Critics Circle, as well as a member of the National Society of Film Critics and the Critics Choice Association. Travers' work is noted for its sharp, passionate takes on Hollywood, often championing bold and controversial films while influencing public discourse on cinema.

Early life

Childhood and family

Peter Travers was born on June 27, 1943.

Education

Travers earned a Master of Arts degree in English from New York University.

Professional career

Early journalism

Travers entered the field of journalism in the early 1970s as a writer for Reader's Digest, where he handled general writing and editing tasks while beginning to focus on entertainment topics, including film-related content. His passion for cinema, which dated back to childhood when he kept notebooks of thoughts during movie viewings, informed this initial work and laid the groundwork for his specialization. By the mid-1970s, Travers had moved to The Herald Statesman, a newspaper in , taking on roles in local reporting that included film pieces alongside community news coverage. This position allowed him to develop his skills in , establishing early beats in movie reviews and related articles that highlighted his growing expertise. During this era, Travers navigated the difficulties of entering national media, a period when the industry favored established voices and offered few entry points for newcomers without major connections, requiring persistence in local outlets to build a .

Print media roles

Travers began his prominent career in print media as a senior editor and top film reviewer for People magazine in the 1980s, serving in the role for four years starting around 1985. During this period, he established his distinctive voice through incisive reviews that blended cultural insight with accessible commentary on contemporary , contributing to People's coverage of major releases and helping solidify his reputation in national . In 1989, Travers joined Rolling Stone as its lead film critic, a position he held until 2020, spanning over three decades of influential coverage. His tenure marked key milestones, including his debut review of Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, which set the tone for his bold, narrative-driven critiques, and extensive reporting on blockbuster releases through annual top-ten lists and in-depth interviews with directors and actors. Travers' work at Rolling Stone emphasized the cultural impact of films, often highlighting performances and storytelling innovations in high-profile projects. Amid a wave of layoffs at in 2015, which affected over a dozen editorial and business staff, Travers faced uncertainty regarding his staff position, with the magazine initially seeking to transition him to a contributor role. However, following negotiations, he retained his full-time staff status and continued as lead critic until his departure in 2020. Travers' contributions during the blockbuster era were particularly notable, as he navigated the rise of tentpole franchises and event films with reviews that balanced enthusiasm for spectacle with critical depth. For instance, his praise for Scorsese's (1990) lauded its kinetic energy and character-driven narrative as a mobster masterpiece, while his take on James Cameron's (1997) celebrated its epic romance amid technical grandeur, influencing public discourse on these cultural phenomena. These pieces exemplified his role in shaping perceptions of Hollywood's output during a transformative decade for the industry.

Television and current work

In 2020, Peter Travers transitioned from his long-standing role at to , where he serves as a reviewer and host of the interview series "Popcorn with Peter Travers," featuring in-depth conversations with actors and directors about their projects. This move leveraged his decades of print journalism experience to expand his presence in broadcast media, allowing for more dynamic engagements with talent. Travers also hosts the New York Film Critics Series, which broadcasts live Q&A sessions from theaters to audiences nationwide, fostering discussions on contemporary cinema. Additionally, he makes regular appearances on (GMA), delivering reviews and commentary on films, television, and streaming content to a broad morning audience. As of 2025, Travers continues to produce timely critiques, including his October review of the documentary "The Perfect Neighbor," which he praised for indicting societal failures through its examination of a Florida murder case involving racial tensions and . In early November, he assessed "Die My Love," a Mubi drama starring as a woman grappling with , awarding it three out of four stars for its bold exploration of psychological turmoil. Complementing his broadcast work, Travers launched his personal blog "The Travers Take" in 2025, offering unfiltered opinions on films, television, awards seasons, and industry trends without the constraints of traditional outlets. The platform has become a space for his signature sharp, passionate takes, drawing on his expertise to analyze cultural moments in real time.

Publications and honors

Peter Travers has authored several books on film, including The 1,000 Best Movies on DVD, published by Wenner Books in 2005, which ranks and reviews top films available in that format at the time. He also edited The Rolling Stone Film Reader: The Best Film Writing from Rolling Stone Magazine, a 1996 Pocket Books anthology compiling notable articles and essays from the publication spanning 1967 to 1996. Additionally, Travers contributed essays to Produced and Abandoned: The Best Films You've Never Seen, a 1990 collection by the National Society of Film Critics highlighting overlooked cinematic works. Travers's professional honors include serving as former chair of the , a position reflecting his influence among peers in film journalism. He is a longstanding member of the , the , and the voting body for the , which recognize cinematic achievements in a satirical vein. While Travers has not received major individual awards, his compilations of interviews with prominent figures such as and , drawn from his Rolling Stone and ABC News work, underscore his role in documenting industry insights. Post-2020, Travers has maintained his impact on awards season analysis through ABC News segments and his personal blog, The Travers Take, where he provides commentary on Oscars, Critics Choice, and other honors.

Personal life

Marriages and relationships

Travers married Robyn Lee Reeves on September 27, 1980, in an Episcopalian ceremony at the of St. Andrew's by the Sea in Hyannisport, . Reeves, the daughter of Frank Broad Reeves of Syosset, , and East Dennis, , and Travers, son of Mr. and Mrs. Howard Travers of , exchanged vows performed by Rev. David Myers. The has been a long-term partnership, with limited public details available on its duration or aspects beyond the wedding announcement.

Family

Following his marriage to Robyn Lee Reeves in 1980, Peter Travers has maintained a private family life.

Critical work

Writing style and influences

Peter Travers is renowned for his brash and enthusiastic writing style, characterized by vivid, promotional language that often renders his reviews ideal for marketing blurbs. His critiques frequently employ hyperbolic praise and sharp wit, making them accessible and engaging for a broad audience while emphasizing the emotional and entertainment value of films. For instance, in his review of La La Land, Travers described the film as one that "doesn't just resurrect the musical – it reinvigorates the movies," highlighting his flair for dramatic, celebratory prose. This approach extends to his celebrity interviews, where Travers combines analytical insight with conversational energy, as seen in his discussions with stars like and on ABC's Popcorn with Peter Travers. His literary background, including an M.A. in English from , informs the depth and eloquence of his analyses, allowing him to draw parallels between film narratives and broader cultural or literary themes. Travers' influences stem from his early immersion in 1960s and 1970s cinema during his formative years in , a period marked by the rise of innovative filmmakers like and , which fueled his passion for bold storytelling. Over time, his style evolved from the expansive, essay-like pieces in print outlets such as , where he served as film critic since 1989, to the more succinct, visually oriented commentary required for television appearances on . While praised for making approachable and influential—his quotes appear more frequently in ads than any other critic's—Travers has faced criticism for perceived inconsistencies and a pro-Hollywood , particularly in his enthusiastic endorsements of blockbusters that some view as overly promotional.

Film preferences and lists

Peter Travers has long championed films that delve into psychological depth and societal complexities, as seen in his 2010 ranking of the decade's best movies for . He placed at number one for its unflinching examination of greed and isolation, followed by at number two for its urgent dystopian realism, at three for its dreamlike mystery, at four for its tense moral ambiguity, at five for its exploration of identity, at six for its poignant romance, United 93 at seven for its raw depiction of tragedy, Zodiac at eight for its obsessive pursuit of truth, at nine for its kinetic crime thriller energy, and trilogy at ten for its epic scope. His all-time influences draw heavily from 20th-century masterpieces, with Travers selecting The Godfather trilogy as the top film in Rolling Stone's 1999 list of the 100 greatest movies of that era, citing its unparalleled family saga and power dynamics, alongside Vertigo for its psychological vertigo and Casablanca for its timeless romance amid war. More contemporary touchstones include Milk, which he praised as a vital biopic of Harvey Milk's activism in 2008, and Slumdog Millionaire, lauded in 2008 for its vibrant tale of resilience and destiny. Travers' annual best-of lists underscore his evolving tastes while favoring bold narratives. In 2001, he crowned Memento the year's top film for its innovative reverse chronology and memory themes. His 2023 selections for ABC News placed Past Lives first, an intimate independent drama on cultural displacement, followed by Poor Things for its fantastical feminism and Killers of the Flower Moon for its historical reckoning with injustice. For 2024, The Brutalist led as an immigrant epic of ambition and loss, with Wicked second for its musical reinvention, Anora third for its chaotic indie vitality, Emilia Pérez fourth for its genre-blending intensity, Conclave fifth for its ecclesiastical intrigue, The Substance sixth for its body-horror satire, Nickel Boys seventh for its unflinching look at systemic abuse, Sing Sing eighth for its rehabilitative prison story, A Real Pain ninth for its familial road-trip wit, and Dune: Part Two tenth for its visionary spectacle. By September 2025, Travers declared One Battle After Another the best film of the year on his site The Travers Take, highlighting its action-driven confrontation with division and survival. Travers exhibits a pronounced preference for dramatic biopics that humanize historical figures, such as Oppenheimer (2023) for its intellectual turmoil and Maestro (2023) for its artistic passion, often selecting them as annual standouts for their emotional authenticity. He gravitates toward independent films offering nuanced character studies, like Past Lives (2023) and Anora (2024), which prioritize personal stakes over commercial formulas. In his reviews, Travers frequently critiques films laden with predictable tropes, such as formulaic hero arcs or superficial spectacle, instead elevating works with genuine innovation and depth. His 2025 Rotten Tomatoes contributions further emphasize social issue films, including Nuremberg for its examination of postwar accountability and Sentimental Value for its portrayal of relational fractures amid societal change.

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