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| Movie Review: 51 Birch Street Alternate Title: Pandora's Box
Story: Ever thought about your
parents as if they were real human beings complete with sex lives, dreams
and anxieties? Most people would rather not go to that visual and are
content to remember their parents as if they were frozen in some Hallmark
Card holiday picture. Reality however, is quite different as documentarian
Doug Block learns upon the sudden death of his 83 year
old mother who was married to his father for over 50 years. The shock of Block's mother's death was compounded
when three months later, his father announces he is selling the home
that he has lived in for 55 years, moving to Florida and marrying the
woman who was his secretary 35 years ago. Talk about a jaw dropper! Block, in his efforts
to try to understand his father and to try to delve deeper into his
mother's life begins to read his mother's journals. Be careful what
you wish for is something we should all remember as Block begins to
see his mother and his father's lives for what they really were as opposed
to what he and his sisters thought they were. It is a fascinating, albeit voyeuristic journey into the lives of very
ordinary people who might very well remind you of your own parents.
Yikes! Acting: It's a documentary so this category does
not count.
Predilection: I like documentaries. Critters: 0
Theater Audience: The theater has about 50 seats
and it was about a third filled.
Weather: It seemed to be always sunny.
Sappy Factor: 0
Quirky Meter: 2
Squirm Scale: 0
Drift Factor: It could have been edited a bit.
Predictability Level: There were some surprises as
the film progressed.
Tissue Usage: 0
Oscar Worthy: No
Big Screen or Rental: Rental would be fine.
Length: 90 minutes
LOBO HOWLS: 6
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