The Documentary Addiction

The first step is to admit you have a problem. . .

I had a friend or two ask me to write a post about some of my favorite documentary movies. When I went to write down my top five I ended up with an initial list of more than 20. Oops.

I’m not sure I could identify the first documentary movie I ever saw. I can tell you that while watching “Super Size Me” a couple years ago I had to pause it so I could stop and make brownies. That movie made me incredibly hungry. This is the power of documentaries. Or something like that. Over the years I have come to realize that documentaries fill a unique niche in my life. They satisfy my love of learning new things, my curiosity about how other people live, and they allow me to experience a perspective adjustment. Seriously, if you have a conversation with me of some length, there will come a moment when I say, “Oh! That reminds me of this documentary I was watching. . .” Even if I don’t agree with the perspectives of the story being told, I’m glad for the chance to look at things in a new way.

But I don’t love every documentary. Shockingly enough. I have a couple criteria and I have no problem turning one off half way through if it doesn’t make the cut. Here’s what I’m looking for in a Maralee Approved documentary: good quality filmmaking (nothing that seems like a total home movie), it can’t be 100% subtitles (I’m often folding laundry or on the computer and I can’t read a whole movie), it can’t have too much gore/nudity/language (I’ll tolerate a bit if it’s integral to the story), it has to be available on Netflix (although not all these movies currently are). If you have a documentary that fits those categories, leave the name in the comments!

I am attracted to movies that tell a story. I love documentaries that are uplifting or enlightening. I like ones I can watch with Brian without him rolling his eyes (although he is not a fan of a couple on this list). I am especially drawn to stories of families or adoption or culture. The more I look at this list, the more I see this pattern emerging—I love peaking into subcultures I’d normally have no interaction with. So, here’s my first list of my recommended documentaries with more to come:

Dive!: This is a movie about dumpster diving. Seriously. This guy shows how he survives on a diet of food he and his friends steal out of dumpsters. They talk about how stores try to keep them from dumpster diving and why. My big take away—after watching this, I was very thankful for the Food Net distribution that happens in Lincoln to reduce the amount of grocery store waste we have locally. Every city needs to be looking into that kind of a plan.

Pink Ribbons, Inc:  This movie contrasts the charitable cause of breast cancer with the reality of dealing with breast cancer. It looks at how money is handled and how the popularity of “fighting breast cancer” has directed the focus of cancer research. My big take away— I very consciously won’t say that somebody is “fighting cancer” because of how that language implies that some people don’t “fight” hard enough if they don’t survive. Language matters.

Good Hair: All transracial adoptive families should watch this movie. Period. There was so much in this movie I didn’t know. It is eye-opening to see the money, the chemicals, the subculture of African American haircare. My big take away— hair is important in African American culture and communicates more than I realized.

Exit Through the Gift Shop: Everything you’ve wanted to know about street art, but were too afraid to ask. Kind of. If you’ve heard the name “Banksy” and would like to know more about this person, this is a fascinating introduction. And there’s a weird subplot of trying to figure out what is art and who is an artist. Great questions for any time in any artistic medium, but seems especially intriguing in the context of street art. My big take away—I don’t understand artists, but they are super fascinating.

Vigilante Vigilante: I have a love/hate relationship with this movie. It details the struggle between those who (illegally) graffiti and those who (illegally) paint over graffiti. I found myself rooting for the grumpy old men with paint buckets, which is NOT what the movie wants you to do. What can I say? I’m a rule follower through and through. My big take away— beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And apparently, I find gray paint beautiful.

Broke: Hand a college grad a million dollars and what do you think he’ll do? This documentary is a look behind the scenes at the pressures, temptations and dumb decisions of athletes who are given an incredible amount of money, but retire broke. There seems to be little done to help them understand their finances or guidance on how to make good financial decisions. My big take away— it’s lonely at the top.

You Don’t Know Bo:  Remember Bo? Bo knows this. Bo knows that. Where did that guy go? Now you know! I’m honestly not a big sports fanatic, but it is beautiful to watch a person do what it looks like they were created to do. This movie shows the highlights of Bo Jackson’s career, his career-ending injury, and what he’s doing now. Bow-hunting? Who knew? It’s interesting to see a man of incredible passion learn to channel it in a new direction. My big take away—Bo knows everything. Including big game hunting.