Review of, um, what were we talking about again?

[snousle]

Humboldt County would not normally rate very high on my list of interesting movies but for the fact that it's so true to life. Replace the redwoods with oaks and move it all a bit further from the ocean, and that's almost exactly what the life of a pot farmer is like here in the Ukiah valley.

Every single character in that film has a close equivalent right here on the ranch. Right down to the cranky retired physics prof who is the family patriarch. (Hint: I'm married to him). Pretty much everything that happened in the film has happened here, in pretty much the same way. Not all inside of a few days, mind you - time in the film is a highly compressed - but its fidelity is startling, especially in the small details of daily life.

The story is trite and kind of maudlin, although there's a lot of beautiful scenery to make up for it. (Both flora and fauna.) It's questioning of modernist ideals such as goals, achievement, and so forth is keenly interesting to me right now but frankly the film didn't have anything very meaningful to say other than "don't take it so seriously". Yeah I think I've heard that before. ;-)

(heh, I said "high", heh heh)

Comments

[growler-south.livejournal.com]

I just watched it, and I recognise more than a few friends in the characters! I found the story a little vague and unfocused, with little of the anticipated character development. A shame- there's plenty of growing (heh) opportunities and experience to be had in those kinds of communities.