June 21, 2004

Filmmaker Louis Schwartzberg doesn't want this to become the story, but…

THE FILM THAT MICHAEL MOORE DOESN'T WANT YOU TO SEE

Louis Schwartzberg went out into the world and over the course of years, bit-by-bit, human story by human story, he made a documentary film called America's Heart & Soul.

So why is there a controversy? Well, there isn't. The film has no apparent connection to Fahrenheit 9/11 except for its release date, which is July 2, when it will go out into just a handful of theaters (big hands…about 100 screens). Oh yes… and the film is a very positive, upbeat look at the people of America. Not the politics… the people. You will laugh and cry, with them and at them. You will find characters in the biggest cities and the most rural towns. But most importantly, you will find people who love what they have chosen as their paths in life. There are a lot of things wrong about America. But the passion of the individual and the freedom to explore that passion… it is what America is supposed to be about and it is what fills your heart in Schwartzberg's movie.

So why am I making it into something less than heartwarming?

Because I can see it coming. In today's political climate, anything that isn't nasty about America, as it is today, is seen as pro-Bush, horribly square and politically right-leaning. This is, of course, insanity. Life in black and white is for morons and salesmen. But rage has become the hot commodity of the day. Watching this film, I felt my cynicism melt. The film released me from my analytical straightjacket and spoke to the simple humanity that speaks to me more deeply. It was the humanism of my father… a humanism that I try to honor, if not always in my words, in my spirit

But as positive as the film is - square enough to fit into a puzzle - you can feel Schwartzberg's sense of truth. Everyone he covers is not a hero… not irresistible… not your best friend. Some of these people are straight-up whacks. When I saw the people who have decorated their cars with obsessive glee, I thought of Los Angeles' Dennis Woodruff, whose hyperdecorated vehicles send me under a rock anytime I see one driving in my direction. There is something horrible and pathetic about this man still hoping to become an actor by putting his name on the side of a car. But the people Schwatzberg covers are not ambitious in that way. They are people who, as one of them says, are just happy to see people smile as they drive by. And as cynical as I can be, I have to honor that pleasure.

The story of the young man who spent seven years in jail for armed robbery, learned to box in prison, and now is the captain of our about-to-compete Olympic boxing team… its not just a survivor's story. As an audience, you can't help but think about where he came from, who he victimized, and how he saved himself. And now he is mentoring a young boy who, hopefully, will not follow in his earlier footsteps. In just a few minutes, Schwartzberg gives you a world to consider.

Then there is the story of blind mountain climber Erik Weihenmayer, who was also the subject of a feature-length documentary at the festival called Farther Than The Eye Can See, which I am guessing you will see on TV soon.

There are too many wonderful stories to get into in this column. More than a dozen. Every sex, every race, every religion seems to be there. There will be no political or religious outcry in support of this film. Getting kids into the theater will be a challenge. But it is hard to imagine anyone but the most cynical or otherwise motivated not liking this film.

Schwartzberg could be one of his film's true-life characters. He followed his passion relentlessly and made the film before sending it to distributors and being rejected by everyone… except Disney. Of course, this is another reason to root for this film. Remember all those stories about My Big Fat Greek Wedding and how Hollywood doesn't speak to the audience that loved that film? Well, whether you like Michael Eisner or not, whether you like Michael Moore or not, whether you are a big city sophisticate or a small town yokel, you have to appreciate the heart and the craft of this film. At the very least, it is a magnificent American travelogue. At it's best, it reminds you of why you go to the movies.

More to the point, it is truly apolitical. If you come out of this film feeling great about Americans, that should inspire you to vote against George Bush if you don't like where he has taken the country. Inversely, if you like what Bush has done, it should inspire you to support him. Unlike F9/11, America's Heart & Soul makes no effort to tell you what to think. (The same is true of the excellent Control Room, which played at this festival as well.) It just tells these little stories, offers a wide expanse of American culture (there is enough in the can for AH&S2, which Schwatrzberg hopes to make instead of dumping a lot of great additional material onto a DVD), and makes you feel all kinds of things, from elation to depression to ambition to relief.

And here is an early Oscar prediction. If George Bush loses the election, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences will feel an unmitigated need to honor Michael Moore for his contribution to "proving" the power of cinema. If George Bush wins the election, the Oscar will go to America's Heart & Soul… if, of course, it can get past the nomination process, which is infinitely more politicized than the final mass voting. This is a classic old-school doc. But it is not the bland 50s Disneyfied (for lack of a better term) whitewash that you might fear (I know I did when I walked into the cinema.)

Journalists and critics learn to fear the phrase "just turn off your brain." It is, however, often the right mindset for certain films. But that is not necessary to fall for America's Heart & Soul. All you have to turn off is your arch-cynicism… or at least turn it down by half. And if you can't do that, take your parents or your kids and bask in the glow of their appreciation. And when you least expect it, those 90 minutes will sneak into your thoughts and you will find yourself reflecting on the film… you square!