Gates of Heaven (1978)

The cheap laughs that any filmmaker might wring out of pet cemeteries are nowhere to be had in Errol's Morris' first documentary. It's not that Gates of Heaven isn't amusing at times, but Morris does force us to examine those people sincerely and unaffectedly devoted to animals who had become their companions. The film walks a tightrope between offering respect for the pet owners and revealing the absurdity of the funeral business in general. (It's not unlike The Loved One or Juzo Itami's The Funeral in that regard.) Morris allows his subjects to carry on at some length, but he's careful not to let any of them come off like truly addled animal lovers. It's in his shots of the two cemeteries in question, with a clear California sky arcing over the tombstones featuring Fluffy and Rex, when the film takes a more surreal turn. Like Frederick Wiseman, Morris stands back and allows the material to speak for itself. His later films have strayed from this minimalist approach, but Morris has managed to maintain his integrity as an inquisitive, provocative filmmaker. ~ Tom Wiener, All Movie Guide