This documentary closely follows the fates of three independent filmmakers, who are energetically trying to get their films distributed. It could serve as a cautionary tale for any filmmaker who hopes to use his or her indie films as a stepping-stone to fame and fortune, using the example of the Coen brothers as their motivation. The first film,
Personal Foul, runs into real difficulties when distributor after distributor communicates the message: "I'll puke if I see another film about kids coming of age in small-town America," since that's exactly what their film is about. The second film, Beirut: The Last Home Movie won favorable attention at the Sundance Film Festival, but that alone isn't enough to motivate audiences to see it, even though it gets professional distribution. Finally, a group of friends try to distribute their film Only A Buck by pounding the pavement: driving all over the country in their "Brickmobile" and attempting to sell video copies of it. Aside from a good look at America, they wind up with a mountain of debt and one oddly decorated, non-functioning van. They are also sobered to discover that the rest of America is not easily moved to share their enthusiasm for a film which took years of their lives to create. Despite the seemingly endless frustrations it depicts, the filmmakers' stories are told with humor and sympathy, and reviewers found this independent production eminently watchable. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide