One of my favorite movies of 2005 is now available on DVD. I became so enamored with 51 Birch Street after I saw it at SXSW 2005, that Spout hosted a grassroots screening to a packed?? theater near my house.
51 Birch Street is a little documentary made by Doug Block about his parents. He’s the kid in the family who makes movies, and–much like me–he’s volunteered to cover all family events. Then his mom dies and he keeps his camera with him as a way to make conversation with his old man. His camera winds up seeing more than he ever expected, capturing what looks like a tea cup filled to the brim with tornado. It’s a small story of your average American family having average problems that quake with cataclysmic force when the truth rises. It’s a pitch perfect telling of how–no matter where you are–family is a black hole always pulling you back to the core.

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SpoutBlog » Paul