Great Photo, Lovely Life

This is without a doubt one of the strongest and most self-aware documentaries I have ever seen. Beautiful visuals and nuanced delivery. It feels like I'm experiencing someone's memories firsthand.

The film rings so true to family dysfunction - and the complex ways that the human mind processes that dysfunction in order to protect ourselves. It tracks many years in the life of the family, so we see through the camerawoman's eyes how family dynamics play out both short-term and long-term. It's honest and heartfelt.

So many documentaries go overboard with exposition and oversimplify trauma. This one doesn't. Highly recommend.

This really hit home for my own reasons, this made me so sad and so angry! This man STILL believes he is free of any wrong doing, that he is this jovial, sweet man that couldn't possibly hurt a fly... He makes me sick! Furious!

I also really have such anger towards his wife and even their daughter who allowed this man to abuse one of her own daughters.

I am not negating or dismissing trauma and the cycle of dysfunction that does essentially brain wash a victims emotional or moral compass, but since the DAWN OF TIME a mother is designed to protect their children, not continously put them in the jaws of the lion. I don't care what year it was or what societal stigmas were in place, nothing should hinder that instinct.

Also. That other weird, overly defensive, overly chatting couple that completely gas light her Mother and immediate began to preach the word of God and make her pray for forgiveness... UNREAL!!! I was floored either of them even entertained that whole thing, that couple was shady and clearly hiding something too...

This guy is a monster, stone cold and has lived his whole live raping little girls with no repercussions, this is exponentially terrible and shameful.

This took so much courage from her and especially all of the victims, very well done.

As "Great Photo, Lively Life" (2023 release; 112 min.) opens, we are with Amanda and her mom Debbie, who are visiting Amanda's grandpa (Debbie's dad) in Florida, ready to finally confront him over the sexual abuses of many young girls all this years ago. He doesn't deny any of it, and in fact goes one further. We then go back in time to the 1970s in Bradford, PA, where he worked as a chiropractor. At this point we are 10 minutes into the movie.

Couple of comments: this movie is co-directed by Rachel Beth Anderson ("Unschooled") and Amanda Mustard, making her directing debut. The movie is a hard-hitting, if not shocking, but certainly devastating look back to the speechless acts of sexual abuse over many years by her grandfather, and the long-term consequences for the family and the victims. The grandfather shows no signs of remorse, zero, and explains it all like you would explain buying a loaf of bread at the grocery store, To Amanda's immense credit, she does not shy away from the difficult moments, and plows on to get to the bottom of this, including the responsibilities of the people around her grandfather, including i=his wife and yes, Amanda's mother. Please note that this will make many viewers uncomfortable, as surely I was.

"Great Photo, Lovely Life" premiered at SXSW earlier this year to immediate critical acclaim. It is currently rated 100% Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and for good reason. It started airing on HBO two weeks ago and it is also streaming on Max, where I caught it. If you want to understand the truly devastating effects of a serial pedophile on his victims, his family, and society as a while, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.

In spite of this person being an absolute, unremorsful monster, his family showed him the compassion and love he didn't deserve and never showed to his countless victims. I certainly wouldn't have been so kind in this situation.

As someone from a family with the patriarch also doing such things, this family's ability to confront his actions head on makes me sad my family never could speak openly about what had happened. Quite the opposite, this was buried deep down and became a shameful secret only part of the family even knows about today.

My expectation is that everybody who watched this documentary or is reading this review has experience to some degree, either personally, or with a loved one some form of sexual abuse. It is staggering and disgusting how pervasive these behaviors are but if we are ever going to slow its momentum it's by being upfront and honest and teaching our children to speak up.

Powerful and jarring movie.

I'm floored, disturbed, angry, and in utter dismay after seeing this. The bravery needed to tell this story must have been insurmountable. Endless gratitude to Amanda for doing this work and to her sister, mother, and all her grandfather's victims for surviving it.

The unending forgiveness and gifts of contact & affection, even still calling him "Grampa" instead of just "Bill" left me disgusted. It was a reminder at how skewed religion can make us in regard to the forgiveness aspect.

But I have no theory on the contact and affection. Only resentment. I'm sure it must have been difficult and complicated, but it made me angry that he got to experience the joy and love of having his family in his life when he clearly didn't deserve to.

Everyone should see this film, especially if you live with "a secret you shouldn't have to keep".