Chicken People

Long, long ago, my wife and I showed dogs...briefly. We stopped mostly because, believe it or not, the dog show world is filled with angry, ultra-competitive people who just aren't very nice. And, the mockumentary "Best in Show" actually is pretty accurate in many ways! In light of this, I found myself really enjoying "Chicken People" because most of the folks the documentary highlights are genuinely nice and it was NOT all about winning. In particular, when one of the featured folks narrowly beat out another featured breeder, the man was congratulatory AND said his loss meant he just needed to work to breed even better birds. Now I am NOT saying every person in the film is wonderful...one of them seemed pretty odd...but in general they seemed like relatively normal folks who you couldn't help but like. Because of this, a seemingly dull topic turned out to be pretty interesting and worth seeing.

What I loved about this documentary, and many like it, is the fact that the focal point (in this case chicken competitions) is really just an entry point into the human condition. Yes, there are chickens. Thousands, possibly. But the three characters followed through their own respective journeys to a big competition, as well as their lives both past and present, is what the story is really about.

A young, kind hearted man who struggled to find acceptance. A middle-aged man who thrives on problem-solving and analytical pursuits. And a woman simply trying to find peace in life, peace in herself and learning to work through trauma. It's certainly an easy assessment to make, but it works: sometimes people need chickens more than the chickens need them.

This doc is organically endearing, interesting and I fell in love with the contestants, and the contestants', contestants.

9/10.

It's the world of show chickens. Really! As of today, no cast or trivia is listed on imdb, but several of the peoples' names are shown on the screen. Brian caraker is indeed a performing singer in a show. And sings to his birds to calm them. One lady is a wife and a mom. We actually get to watch the chicks bust out of their shells, something most of us have probably never seen. For me, that was more exciting than watching the events at the shows. This is listed as a documentary, and while they all take the shows and appearance standards seriously, they all seem to have a sense of humor about it. Bless the turkey, and damn the skin, open your mouth and cram it in! Discussion of the avian bird flu, when shows were cancelled and many birds were destroyed. There's some reality that brought things to a halt. Very entertaining film. At times, it sounds like a christopher guest film, but these are just everyday folks, like you and me. Who knew there were that many kinds of chicken ?

The documentary tells the story of a group of people who raise chickens and other poultry that best meet the standards of excellence set by the American Poultry Association. It describes the psychology, life and relationship with chickens of people who dedicate their lives to creating the most perfect chicken.

The documentary was good. It makes me happy to see these beautiful chickens. But it's sad to see owners love their chickens and other poultry sometimes just for reward. It is a pity that they are seen only as ornamental animals and prize-winning poultry.

I love poultry, I did not get bored watching this documentary. I wish there was more talk about chicken love.

Yes, this really is about "Chicken People". Not scared people, or cowards, but about people who love and raise chickens. Most of the focus on this short documentary focuses on those who raise and breed chickens for show (though some do indeed find themselves on the dinner menu after a time) and competition, hoping--just like people who breed and show cats or dogs, hoping to win not only "Best in Breed" but "Best in Show". It's interesting to see the variety of breeds involved and (superficially) the techniques these breeders use to bring out their desired characteristics.

Filled with interviews, the film affectionately follows these self-acknowldged "Chicken People" as they care for--feed, bathe and even groom their chickens and prepare for competition. Some treat their chickens like members of the family--like true pets, while others love them but keep them as barn fowl. There is a sense of self-depecrating humor thorughout the interviews as these people seeem to be self-aware enough to recognize that their love--even self-described "obsession" of chickens is seen as a bit unusual. Still, they smile and never apologize for how they feel.

This is not the most lively of documentaries, nor the most scintillating or instructive. To me it spend just a little too much time on the breeder's outside interests (in a dicumentary this short it matters). However, if you are an animal lover, or a breeder of any sort, or even just curious about chickens, you should enjoy it. It also can servie as a breif introduction to the world of chicken breeding and competition.