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There is a fascinating documentary waiting to be made about the readily duped adherents of new-age miracle cures — the sort of people who hawk snake-oil elixirs across the country as if their power were genuinely divine.

The problem with The Grounded, a doc about the "profound curative effects" of bare-skin contact with the earth, is that it has been made by those people. Though its claims are uniformly outrageous and, of course, unsubstantiated by anything like scientific proof, the film remains possessed of such earnest belief that the appropriate response isn't so much skepticism as surprise that anybody could be so easily deceived.

The result is sort of sad. The filmmaker, self-professed "naturalist" Steve Kroschel, is deeply invested in the pro...

by indieWIRE (November 14, 2008) Steve Kroschel's "The Beautiful Truth" follows the story of 15-year old Garrett. After the unexpected and tragic death of his mother, Garret, who is an animal-loving teenager, spirals downward and fast. His father withdraws Garrett to be home-schooled to avoid flunking out. Growing up on an Alaskan animal reserve, Garrett's father recognized his son's interest in the dietary habits of their animals. This prompts him to assign a book written by Dr. Max Gerson, which maintains that there is a direct link between diet and a cure for cancer. Fascinated and curious, Garrett embarks on a cross-country road trip to investigate the merits of The Gerson Therapy. He meets with scientists, doctors and cancer survivors who reveal how the multi-billion dollar medical industry has made it their mission to dismiss the notion of alternative and natural cures. The film opens in limited release today (Friday), November...