Aron Gaudet and Gita Pillapully brings us this heartwarming documentary chronicling the lives of three Marine greeters at the Bangor International Airport in Bangor, Maine.
Bill, Joan and Jerry get up in the middle of the night to the crack of dawn to greet, as well as wish good luck upon, the servicemen and women departing and arriving to the battlefields in the Middle East. In between greeting the men and women of the Marines, the three face their own trials and tribulations.
Bill is 82. He's been diagnosed with prostate cancer as well as tumors on his ribs and jaw. He lives alone and his sadness for being alone is unmatched. He seems to find solace in greeting the men and women returning from service.
Jerry has his own set of troubles. He lost his son when he was only ten, his heart isn't what it used to be and his only companion, a dog named Flannigan, is taken from him after a long term illness. After all he's been through, however, he still finds time to get up and greet and entertain the hundreds of Marines that walk through the gate at Bangor International.
Finally, Joan, a grandmother who's two grandchildren are off to serve in the Army, suffers from chronic back pains and a disliking to seeing the soldiers off, still takes her time to travel to the airport and greet them.
A story like "The Way We Get By" gives us a glimpse into the lives of three ordinary, elderly people who forgo any and all of their troubles to give the returning and departing servicemen and women a chance to hear "welcome home". And it's people like Bill, Joan and Jerry who show us what it means to be a true American, who show us that a bumpersticker saying "Support the Troops" isn't enough. Because if they can take time out of their days to stand and wait for the troops to come home, then anyone can, and this film is evidence of that.
Bill, Joan and Jerry get up in the middle of the night to the crack of dawn to greet, as well as wish good luck upon, the servicemen and women departing and arriving to the battlefields in the Middle East. In between greeting the men and women of the Marines, the three face their own trials and tribulations.
Bill is 82. He's been diagnosed with prostate cancer as well as tumors on his ribs and jaw. He lives alone and his sadness for being alone is unmatched. He seems to find solace in greeting the men and women returning from service.
Jerry has his own set of troubles. He lost his son when he was only ten, his heart isn't what it used to be and his only companion, a dog named Flannigan, is taken from him after a long term illness. After all he's been through, however, he still finds time to get up and greet and entertain the hundreds of Marines that walk through the gate at Bangor International.
Finally, Joan, a grandmother who's two grandchildren are off to serve in the Army, suffers from chronic back pains and a disliking to seeing the soldiers off, still takes her time to travel to the airport and greet them.
A story like "The Way We Get By" gives us a glimpse into the lives of three ordinary, elderly people who forgo any and all of their troubles to give the returning and departing servicemen and women a chance to hear "welcome home". And it's people like Bill, Joan and Jerry who show us what it means to be a true American, who show us that a bumpersticker saying "Support the Troops" isn't enough. Because if they can take time out of their days to stand and wait for the troops to come home, then anyone can, and this film is evidence of that.