While it's sweeping in scope, the documentary does an admirable job explaining how our culture creates masculinity. It makes a point, too, to frame the conversation at the outset by differentiating sex and gender.

Reductive and sensationalistic correlations detract from the movie's salient points.

It overstates -- and over-stats -- its case, at times making that case as overly simplistic and over-determined as it argues American masculinity is.

While not fully achieving its goals, The Mask You Live In presents enough thought-provoking material in a digestible manner to get people interested.