This a wonderful, funny and subtle comment on 1990's America. I grabbed it because New Yorker Films is such a tried and true choice for good films, and this one didn't disappoint. This movie may be a little too subtle for some, but it is definitely a well-crafted, carefully curated collage of interviews and interactions with a fascinating cross-section of humanity. A gay couple of East Coast extraction living in San Francisco travel through the south meeting all kinds of folks along the way: a poor black woman making minimum wage after working for middle class whites for 18 years, a couple of young teens expecting a baby and deciding on what mobile home to buy, and a casino owner who could be played by Billy Crystal. In between the funny stuff, the film-makers weave a story about the make-up of America and they do it with heart and sympathy. This could have easily become a snark-fest about ignorant Southerners, instead Friedman and Epstein take the high road and simply let the subjects speak for themselves. The journey is peppered here and there with gay-relevant issues (Aids and homophobia), but it is certainly not an insular film. If you like "Sherman's March" and Errol Morris, you will like "Where Are We?"
2 Reviews
Should have been great stories but too dull as is
hhfarm-121 May 2006
Warning: Spoilers
This is a well-intentioned road trip movie. The idea is good: drive into small towns in America and talk to ordinary folks.
Unfortunately, the interviewers lack the ability to ask interesting questions so we never know if the subjects themselves had anything of interest to say.
Asking "Why are we here?" or "What are your regrets?" of poor/ street people doesn't quite work. Some folks are allowed lengthy and meandering stories; others are cut off.
The most compelling part is a talk with some gay US Marines. While I have 0 interest in gay themes, these people had a strong story. The directors might have done better to focus on a gay-themed road trip and managed their interviews accordingly: it could have been worthwhile to hear the stories of some gay folks in American small towns - more interesting that squibs about drifters and street people in Las Vegas anyway.
This should probably be a 2 or 3 but it is well-meant and tried to do some serious work.
Unfortunately, the interviewers lack the ability to ask interesting questions so we never know if the subjects themselves had anything of interest to say.
Asking "Why are we here?" or "What are your regrets?" of poor/ street people doesn't quite work. Some folks are allowed lengthy and meandering stories; others are cut off.
The most compelling part is a talk with some gay US Marines. While I have 0 interest in gay themes, these people had a strong story. The directors might have done better to focus on a gay-themed road trip and managed their interviews accordingly: it could have been worthwhile to hear the stories of some gay folks in American small towns - more interesting that squibs about drifters and street people in Las Vegas anyway.
This should probably be a 2 or 3 but it is well-meant and tried to do some serious work.
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