The Story
A 50th-anniversary look at Harry Chapin's iconic song with stars reflecting on its timeless themes of family, time, and legacy.
Harry Chapin - Cat's In The Cradle: The Song That Changed Our Lives is a heartfelt, 50th-anniversary celebration of one of the most beloved songs in American music history. Directed by Rick Korn (Harry Chapin: When in Doubt, Do Something), this feature documentary explores the profound cultural and emotional legacy of Chapin's 1974 hit, whose timeless reflections on fatherhood, family, and the passage of time continue to move audiences across generations.
Through rare archival material, stirring live performances, and candid interviews with artists and admirers--including Billy Joel, Pat Benatar, Judy Collins, Dee Snider, Darryl McDaniels (Run-DMC), Mandy Patinkin, Robert Lamm (Chicago), and Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe)--the film traces how one folk-rock anthem became a universal touchstone. Producers Rick Korn and S.A. Baron expand the story beyond music, connecting Chapin's humanitarian spirit to his lifelong advocacy against hunger through organizations like WhyHunger, Long Island Cares, and the Harry Chapin Foundation.
Winner of Best Film at the 2025 Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame Film Festival, the documentary captures the enduring resonance of Cat's in the Cradle--a song nominated for a Grammy Award in 1975 and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011. With a balance of emotional storytelling and cultural insight, the film honors Chapin's artistry and activism in equal measure.
As Rolling Stone praised, it's "consistently fascinating and entertaining," while Variety hailed it as "a portrait of the '70s folk-rock star, and of the song of his that still casts a spell." Harry Chapin - Cat's In The Cradle: The Song That Changed Our Lives is not only a tribute to a defining voice of the 1970s, but also a reminder of how one song--and one man's compassion--can still change lives fifty years on.
Media
Cast & Crew
Actors:
- Billy Joel
- Pat Benatar
- Judy Collins
- Dee Snider
- Darryl McDaniels
- Mandy Patinkin
- Robert Lamm
Director: Rick Korn
Producer: Jason Chapin
Additional Details
Label: MVD Visual
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Run Time: 90 mins
Region: 0
Release Date: 11/11/25
UPC: 760137186991
Description
A 50th-anniversary look at Harry Chapin's iconic song with stars reflecting on its timeless themes of family, time, and legacy.
Harry Chapin - Cat's In The Cradle: The Song That Changed Our Lives is a heartfelt, 50th-anniversary celebration of one of the most beloved songs in American music history. Directed by Rick Korn (Harry Chapin: When in Doubt, Do Something), this feature documentary explores the profound cultural and emotional legacy of Chapin's 1974 hit, whose timeless reflections on fatherhood, family, and the passage of time continue to move audiences across generations.
Through rare archival material, stirring live performances, and candid interviews with artists and admirers--including Billy Joel, Pat Benatar, Judy Collins, Dee Snider, Darryl McDaniels (Run-DMC), Mandy Patinkin, Robert Lamm (Chicago), and Whitfield Crane (Ugly Kid Joe)--the film traces how one folk-rock anthem became a universal touchstone. Producers Rick Korn and S.A. Baron expand the story beyond music, connecting Chapin's humanitarian spirit to his lifelong advocacy against hunger through organizations like WhyHunger, Long Island Cares, and the Harry Chapin Foundation.
Winner of Best Film at the 2025 Long Island Music & Entertainment Hall of Fame Film Festival, the documentary captures the enduring resonance of Cat's in the Cradle--a song nominated for a Grammy Award in 1975 and inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2011. With a balance of emotional storytelling and cultural insight, the film honors Chapin's artistry and activism in equal measure.
As Rolling Stone praised, it's "consistently fascinating and entertaining," while Variety hailed it as "a portrait of the '70s folk-rock star, and of the song of his that still casts a spell." Harry Chapin - Cat's In The Cradle: The Song That Changed Our Lives is not only a tribute to a defining voice of the 1970s, but also a reminder of how one song--and one man's compassion--can still change lives fifty years on.
Media
Cast & Crew
Actors:
- Billy Joel
- Pat Benatar
- Judy Collins
- Dee Snider
- Darryl McDaniels
- Mandy Patinkin
- Robert Lamm
Director: Rick Korn
Producer: Jason Chapin
Additional Details
Label: MVD Visual
Genre: Documentary
Language: English
Run Time: 90 mins
Region: 0
Release Date: 11/11/25
UPC: 760137186991
