A Man Named Pearl (2006) User Reviews

Inspirational for people who hate inspirational

[bostonisaac · 9/10 · 20 July 2008]

Actually it is inspirational for people that like inspirational too. Saw this film tonight and was really moved by the Man named Pearl. Pearl is a true original and embodies the American Spirit in the very best way. I hate inspirational movies for the most part but this film pulled me in, made me laugh and was honest. This is one of those rare films that can make you see the light in the dark world and be happy that there is a good person, inspired and doing good things. The movie just made me happy to be on the planet which is rare at times. The photography and music are really great. Nothing manipulative here. I highly recommend you check it out when it is in your town.

You can't stop watching....

[planktonrules · 8/10 · 23 July 2013]

Pearl Fryar is the subject of this documentary. In many ways, Pearl is a very ordinary man...except for his hobby. Long ago, Pearl started working with his yard and it went from a cow pasture to a magical place filled with amazingly crafted topiaries. Now I am not talking about topiaries like you see at Disney World, but pieces that look almost like something you'd see in a modern art gallery. How this HUGE project has affected Pearl's life as well as the community is the subject of this film. Now I know this sounds pretty boring--after all, he's just a guy who is obsessed with making a world-class collection of exquisitely carved bushes and trees. But there is much more to it than that--mostly because you really feel a nice connection with the man. Pearl seems like a genuinely admirable and simple man. Overall, the film is very sweet and oddly interesting--so much so that I just found I couldn't stop watching. Weird and wonderful.

"Black People Don't Keep Up Their Yards"

[johnstonjames · 7/10 · 30 March 2010]

"black people don't keep up their yards". the persons who make that idiotic remark should see this movie. not only do black people keep up their yards, but some can obviously turn theirs into a kind of topiary Disneyland.

wow. just thinking about how much work this guy puts into landscaping,weeding, mowing, trimming, makes me want to hit the ol' backyard hammock.

the topiary i am most familiar with is the ones at the 'It's A Small World' attraction at Disneyland here in California, but this guy's stuff is awesome. i can see why he is an internationally acclaimed artist. i would like to see this place. it looks like a total trip.

One person CAN make a difference

[gwenhwyfir · 10/10 · 24 October 2006]

Pearl was the son of sharecroppers in North Carolina. His father told him he was going to be "somebody" when he grew up. Sure enough, after working in a factory for 36 years, Pearl started something phenomenal. He began to trim bushes. Turns out, Pearl is an artist with plants, trees, and bushes. He creates sculptures, gardens, and topiaries out of thrown-away plants from the local nursery in Bishopsville, South Carolina. Challenged by a rather racist comment, Pearl gives himself wholly to something he loves - topiaries. What happens is magical. The whole town has been changed by the beauty of Pearl's gardens. Buses of people come daily to visit his home. You'll never meet a more down-to-earth person or a harder worker. Living his life through his passion, he has touched countless people.

My family and I saw this movie at Indianapolis' Heartland Film Festival, along with a nearly sell- out crowd on a Tuesday evening. Everyone loved it. My heart was warmed as I remembered that truly, one person can make a difference in the lives of others. God bless Pearl for his strength and courage!

Awesome

[alforester · 2 May 2007]

My family and I were in the audience in Bishopville when this documentary was shown. It was so inspiring to watch what one man could do to a little plant. Pearl has a gift from God. Our son Lonzo has studied/worked under Pearl while a student at Coker College, and all I ever heard when he came home was Pearl, Pearl. When I met him I could see why Lonzo was so captured by Mr. Pearl. He is truly a very humble and loving gentleman. Thank you Pearl for your contributions to Bishopville even when they didn't appreciate it. When my mother saw her grandson in the documentary she couldn't stop smiling. I am going to tell and show all my friends and church members this documentary. My goal is to sponsor a trip to Bishopville just for the Seniors of the church to view this beautiful place. My mother said being in Pearl's garden was like being in Heaven.

Lutrell Forester Varnville, SC

A Community of Sharing Inspired By Artistic Obsession

[museumofdave · 9/10 · 24 January 2021]

So often films about eccentrics have a darker agenda, pointing up human oddities for the amusement of the masses; this film is direct and honest and means to showcase an individual who devotes his life and time to a private garden he enthusiastically to the public. In a tiny South Carolina town on the decline from an agricultural past, Pearl buys a home with some acreage and makes the decision not only have a neat and tidy yard, but, as the trees and bushes he plants grows, to sculpture them. He works in the yard every day, quietly but with purpose, and after several years, there are topiary abstracts wherever one looks, and if there is a visitor, the self-effacing man is pleased to chat with them, spending extra time with young people brought by elders who know Pearl is a dedicated, if self-effacing role model. Without being corny or hammering the viewer over the head, the film showcases a good man who freely shares a beneficial obsession.