About a month ago, Marina wrote about Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father, what looks to be a heart-wrenching documentary that serves as a memorial from the murdered Andrew Bagby’s best friend Kurt Kuenne to the son that will never get to know his dad. The best friend and filmmaker sets out to create this documentary by traveling around and interviewing every one that was ever friends with or knew Andrew Bagby. Anyway, I won’t waste your time, just watch the trailer below and you’ll get an idea of just why this story is going to be so interesting – and word around the block is that some very, very unbelievable but true stuff unfolds.
Why I am bringing this up again is that Dear Zachary will have its North American premiere on television this Sunday, December 7th on MSNBC at 9 PM! Clear your schedule, get your TiVo ready, or if you’re stuck in the 90s, have the VCR prepared. Then fellows, make sure you are by yourself so that you can have your box of tissues and witness this ultimate bond of comradery that continues even after death. As Devin over at CHUD said, “Anyone who does not cry during Dear Zachary: A Letter To A Son About His Father is inhuman.”
This sucker is currently sitting at 98% with 41 reviews on RT. Needless to say, I am absolutely excited to watch this and I haven’t been excited about much of anything this year. A few excerpts:
Coming Soon: “One of the most powerful and moving films this year, a personal film that perfectly captures the feelings of anger and loss that accompany a loved one’s untimely death.”
eFilmCritic: “Dear Zachary is not just Oscar-worthy material, but Oscar-requisite. If the Academy’s documentary branch can’t find a way to nominate this film (and then promptly reward it) then there’s more than one corruption of justice that needs to be investigated.”
AICN: “”Dear Zachary is by far one of the greatest films I’ve seen in the last few years. The movie is phenomenal. It’s not just a movie, but a gift from one friend to another. The amount of honest love in this movie is overwhelming…that’s a rare experience to be sitting in a dark theater and truly witness something beautiful…you will walk out of this film completely different from how you walked in…”
Firstshowing: “A 10 out of 10. I promise within the first five minutes you will be captured by it and you won’t be able to tear yourself away. You will laugh, you will smile, you will cry, and you might even want to stand up and shout at the screen. Kuenne is able to capture the true nature of love and dedication in a way I have never seen. This is without a doubt one of the most profound, touching and moving films I have ever watched.”
Playing theatrically:
• New York City, The Cinema Village (through December 4th)
• Opens December 5, 2008: San Jose, CA, Camera 3 Cinemas (Filmmaker Kurt Kuenne will appear 12/5 at the 6:50 PM and 9:20 PM shows and 12/6 at all shows)
• Opens January 2, 2009: Santa Fe, NM, Center for Contemporary Arts
• Opens January 30, 2009: Chicago, Gene Siskel Film Center
If you happen to miss all of this, it will be out on DVD on February 10, 2009.
Awesome. I wonder if I get MSNBC on my Satellite package. Will have to double check that…
The guys at slash film were blubbering over this film as well… I was really looking forward to this coming the the theaters but I guess not.
sunday it is. Thanks Jon!
i saw this. i cried. i can admit that.
Wow – I went to high school with Andrew and graduated the same year (1991). This is the first time I’ve heard of his tragedy. It has hit me really hard. I’ll be glued to the screen this coming Sunday. Thanks for sharing the information.
I believe they will pay tribute to Andrew very well, Gary. I am sure of it, by the sounds and look of it.
There is something about friendship, the unbreakable male bond between two friends that can get to guys more than anything. Well, or father and son stories (which this is also) – those always seem to bring out the tissues for guys too. Even brothers. Which it is odd that the bond between two males (friends, brothers, fathers and sons) can affect guys so much, but if it is about a guy and a girl, guys will shrug it off as sappy.
I’m yet to be brought to actual tears by a film, but there have been occasions I’ve come close. Which brings up an interesting discussion in itself…
I think a lot of it depends on the mood you are in, and well, obviously how much something resonates with you at that point in your life (the reason people like to watch break-up movies after a break-up: to get some more good, solid crying out of their system since they will relate).
Hey Jonathan, thanks for the heads up. DVR is set.
Haven’t been following this, but judging from all the praise, I’m kind of excited now. I haven’t shed a tear in years. I’m due.
I rarely cry during a film as well — but the last ones I can remember were IN AMERICA, GLORY (brotherhood) and FIELD OF DREAMS (father/son)….so I think you’re on to something about the male bonding thing.
The slash film crew were all in years over this film but they did have one criticism, the use of music was intrusive at times, other that a perfect film.
uh tears not years
I set my DVR and also realized it is playing again at 11c/12e. So if you miss the 9pm showing, it’s on again at midnight.
I’m really a hardened movie goer. I’ve seen nearly everything and rarely get moved. This movie affected me like nothing I’ve seen. The criticism of the music and at times disunity of editing has been criticized and I can understand why, but I think its just form following the emotional content.
Full Review here:
http://floydfortnightly.blogspot.com/2008/11/movie-review.html
So I’m pissed off. My cable was doing weird things when I set this to record. I’ll try re-recording it at 2am and try watching it tomorrow.
I told a few people about it though and I got a couple of emails some of them saying how great it was.
ugh, I just plain forgot, and I had a gmail reminder and everything.
Check your listings rot, I’m sure it will be on again. It pretty much played non-stop all throughout last night.
my humanity is in check, I cried. Dear Zachary is a film that measures up exactly to the hype, at first I was thinking maybe it was not going to be as affecting as claimed, but wow. And the points I have heard elsewhere that the value of the film is not so much it’s craftsmanship, while it is very affecting and does what it sets out to do, its ultimately the story and found footage that carries you through the emotional journey. Its ambitious with its storytelling, lots of layered sounds and a bazillion cuts, but it is not the sort of thing you admire for HOW it got to where it did, it is always overshadowed by the story itself, and that is a good thing. If you are there to be moved, you will be moved.
I couldn’t have said it better myself. The story is amazing but the way the story is crafted with such attention to detail is brilliant and simply enhances the story. It’s definitely hard not to cry.
Watched Dear Zachary a 2nd time and have more respect for its construction. Yes it is manipulative, its lingers on emotionally charged moments, and I noticed it builds its music carefully… first time around I noticed the music only at the key points, felt somewhat unnecessary but 2nd time around I noticed how the music at times is a slowburn leading to that crescendo. And also there is a lot of great moments with no music at all, no sound in fact, just still images. The film is deservedly indulgent in its lingering on Andrew, on the love people had for him. But I take back my original reservation, this is a well made documentary on the whole.
i saw this due to the recommendation on here. my god, i have never cried so hard during a movie. in fact, i’ve only cried a handful of times and this one had me blubbering. if you don’t at least tear up, you have no heart.
my oh my.
Jonathan – Why only quotes from the GEEK sites. I think I’d be more interested in the opinions of folks with families and aged over 40 on this one.
Yet, I really, really liked the film, it hammers hammers hammers its emotions home in a way that, actually, feels quite earned.
Is Kurt Kuenne a potential next pop-doc maker along the vein of Michael Moore or Morgan Spurlock? This film would suggest that he knows how to mix pop, technique and substance together in a very EARNED kind of way.
It seems that a bill has finally passed up here in Canada,
“Bill C-464 (which would make it much harder for serious offenders to make bail) had gotten wonderful, unanimous support from all parties in Ottawa’s House of Commons up here in Canada. But that was only support — not an official vote. However, Cinematical has just learned from filmmaker Kurt Kuenne himself that the bill has been passed unanimously by the House of Commons, after David and Kate Bagby addressed the committee earlier this month. Now the bill has to be passed by the Senate, and then it will become law. Finally.”
http://www.cinematical.com/2010/03/23/dear-zachary-bill-gets-passed-unanimously-by-house-of-commons/