Artivels Undescribable Perfection

Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Dynamixor The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

Zandra The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

billing-19 I lived in Pound Virginia for 4 years, and was married to a coal miners daughter for twenty years. I found the scenes in this Documentary to be not only an accurate reflection of the people I met there, but also typical of the people I met there. I was not raised there so as an outsider to the culture there perhaps my opinion is more unbiased. My wife was actually related to the Bowling family. There are a lot of them up there. I honor the people of the Appalacian. They are a culture unto themselves. There is nothing like them anywhere in the USA, or the world for that matter. You must live there to experience what I'm talking about. They are hard working, honest sensitive people with a strong family ethic, but with very few options. I also saw a lot of the family dysfunction depicted in the documentary caused by the extreme poverty there. I was fortunate to live there during the short burst of prosperity brought on by the first energy crisis in the late 70's, but the preceding years of poverty were still evident. Now with the energy crisis over, and technology taking over the coal mines things are worse there than ever.

casey133 i read a lot of people saying that they made a more or less fool out of everyone here, that the jobs are good if you just look, that we don't try for ourselves. like it or not this film is correct in 95% of what it said, and as far as us not trying. you come here and live and see how far you get when we take all you have away from you. you wouldn't last. its well worth watching and in spite of what others say, it is correct in the information it gives. i don't know why people are saying its not the way this place is, maybe they don't want to admit it. i invite anyone to come here for a week, or even a weekend... see for your self. i would tell anyone who wants to know what this place is like but don't want to visit or don't have the time/money to visit, rent or buy this doc. well worth the money.

bsmstewart Honestly, I don't know why anyone would consider this movie to be a documentary. Then again, I suppose that calling it such is just a convinient way to catalogue it as opposed to quibbling over it being a mockumentary instead.The movie mentions Hazard as being the closest town. Congratulations, that's where I've grown up. Believe it or not, there is actually an amount of economic prosperity there that people wouldn't believe. Why do I say that? Because Rory Kennedy goes to great lengths to make very sure that it is never seen and depict Eastern Kentucky as a Twilight Zone holdover from the 1890's, only with newer vehicles.In a movie meant to showcase the determination and the ability of a family to survive in extreme economic hardship, I simply wonder how hard Ms. Kennedy had to work to make sure that this was the most blatantly discriminatory piece of work that she could come up with. Granted, you had people that didn't work, but moving wasn't exactly an option. To give up a home that you have, in a place that you know to move somewhere but not have the funds to establish a home is always a good move, is it not? The accusations thrown around about Clint have also been amusing since Paris Hilton has proved to be far worse than Clint ever thought about being. I'd also like to point out that the locale was terribly convinient. The difficulty in getting jobs into Eastern Kentucky is due to these wonderful stereotypes and the fact that this film could have been done in ANY state in the nation doesn't deter anyone for an instant.I honestly, in good faith, cannot recommend this film. It is a textbook case of making sure that the footage fits what you want to depict. I do not care what Rory Kennedy has to say, this film is nothing more than a series of strung together scenes meant to make a family struggling to get by into another, stereotype-perpetuating joke. God save us from another elitist moviemaker.

wetrock I love documentaries. "American Hollow" was very good because it let you see a side of American life that few ever see. I really cared about these people. One thing that bothered me a little was that if these folks were so poor and had no running water, jobs, etc., why was there a satellite dish in their front yard? I don't consider myself "poor" but even I can't afford a satellite dish! Also, the show never stated this, but I wonder if the teenage Bowling son and Shirley Couch didn't get married because of HER parents and social rank? It seemed one minute she was all for it and the next thing you knew was that the engagement was off! Fickle female or interfering parents? Interesting. I was ready to slap him, though and tell him to get on with his life. If he put one-fourth the energy into finding a job instead of mooning over his little girlfriend, he would have made enough money to move out of the "holler"! Anyway, it was a very interesting, engrossing documentary. I recommend it.