An Ordinary Hero: The True Story of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland

I saw this documentary for the first time at Doc Utah last September. When I heard that a local film-maker had made a film about his mother's role in the Civil Rights movement, I figured it would be of limited production values, and be over-the-top in glorifying his mother.

I was completely wrong on both counts.

This film offers a very interesting and emotional recounting of Joan Mulholland's participation in the "freedom Rider's" movement, the lunch counter sit-ins, and other important and history-altering events in 1960s Mississippi. The film flows easily from one event to the next, with very coherent interviews with important participants in these events, offering a variety of perspectives. I walked out of that first showing amazed at how much I didn't know about these events, and with a deep appreciation to Loki Mulholland for capturing his mother and the other witnesses on film telling their stories.

The film is very suitable for pre-teens and older, who as a result of watching this documentary will feel that they too can change the world.

This was the story many of us find familiar with a central character,Joan, who I has not known about. I find stories and film re the Civil Rights movement very absorbing and moving but what limited this film for me is Joan's dismissal and obliteration of northern white women with their(our) "strange accents" and ways. I felt that she was slamming the door on us. As she was fighting for rights she was proclaiming "I'm a Southerner." So I couldn't embrace this film as I had others of the genre.