Mule Skinner Blues

I stumbled across this movie while channel surfing late one night last week on one of the Sundance Channels. I was taken with the hope, as misplaced as it seems to be, demonstrated by the residents of the trailer park. All of them seem to believe that they are only one short step shy of being discovered as talented writers, musicians and/or actors. What is wrong with that? They all may be delusional to think that they are really talented enough to make it as professional entertainers, but that kind of dream seems to keep them going. More power to them. Drugs and alcohol may blur their dreams, but allow them to keep pretending as well. On the other hand, if you really believe it, are you pretending? I know a lot of people not unlike these folks. Here in Southern Appalachia, there are plenty of characters who need to believe that they will rise above the grinding poverty of their lives and become rich, famous or celebrated for their art. These are real people, existing on the underbelly of society, one short step away from abject poverty. Yet they continue to believe that something really good will happen to them in the long run. It may be sad, but it is also touching. This movie made me feel something for the subjects of the documentary. We are surrounded by these characters. Just look around sometime.

I saw this movie at cinemavillage in New York and this is a great film about never giving up on your dreams and trying to put your personal mark on life. The characters in the film are at first funny and you laugh about the way they talk about becoming entertainers while they are surely not the most brilliant talents that ever lived.

But then their drive to keep going, even when the odds are against them captured me. That sure touched me as a struggling filmmaker who is also not that talented, but I know that if I keep trying maybe I will get some recognition. The film is also a very on-documentary kind of film because it uses all kinds of feature film elements like stylized interviews and dream sequences. The filmmakers clearly wanted to escape from the old fashioned institute that makes most docs so boring that you can't manipulate any thing in "reality". That's bull**** ofcourse because the minute you turn on a camera and decide to point it in a certain direction you are manipulating.

Some documentaries exist simply to tell a story...maybe to bring an obscure injustice into the light or to highlight the story of an unsung hero. Mule Skinner Blues wants you to "feel" the story. It's often-grainy visuals suck you into those murky backwater towns of rural Florida and leaves you feeling as grimy as the film footage itself. But this is its charm and allure. It's not just telling you the story of Beanie Andrew and his cast of lovable or sketchy characters; it's making you feel the stifling heat and sweat that came together to build their dream, the hardships of their falls, and the re-building of it all. It's that rare film that captures a slice of Americana made to feel genuine by the down and dirty work it takes to make a collective dream come true.

It is likely that the majority of Americans who see this film will quickly label the people profiled within "losers", quickly denying any self-recognition. It is unfortunate that the current American psyche does not seem to find true value in love, friendship, camaraderie, non-commercial creativity of any kind, whether it be music, art, authorship, fashion design, hobbies, because it is quite obvious to me, at this stage in my life, that the "ol' mighty dollar" is not the only thing of value in it. The people featured in this film are multi-faceted, fascinating, and basically tender, loving and LOVABLE. Watching it made me wish for inner peace for them, as well as all Americans, so that they have the emotional freedom to appreciate the "treasures" they have all around them every day of their lives.

Unlike a lot of people who reviewed this film and seem to think it's a crime to look at the lives of people who aren't doing all that well, I enjoyed Mule Skinner Blues and enjoyed these people. True, Beanie was a little annoying and his story got old quickly, but there are some no BS moments where we really get a contrast from the times that he is overly, "on." His description of falling into the depths of alcoholism is enough to scare you sober. Steve and Miss Jeannie are truly interesting characters and I loved "DUI Blues." I think that a bit more time could have been spent on exploring their artistry and a little bit less should have been spent on the making and premiere of Turnabout is Fairplay (sic).