Over the past few years, CNN has unexpectedly become the network for premiering great, informative, and powerful original documentaries. I never used to watch CNN, but the the station quickly become one of my favorites for new documentaries. ELIAN may be the best documentary CNN has premiered yet, as it explores in depth the fascinating and sad 1999-2000 media firestorm of 5-year-old Elian Gonzalez's arrival to the U.S., stay in Miami, and return back to Cuba. For those who vividly remember what was arguably the biggest story of the 1999-2000 period (other than the Y2K), the movie serves as a reminder as to just how out-of-control and exploitative the media coverage became. For those who were too young to remember the events, the movie is likely to be an interesting view into one of the biggest political stories of the new millennium. Although a lot of key figures in the scandal are featured in the documentary, I feel like a few more people could have been interviewed given just how many different figures became involved in the case. Almost all viewpoints are covered here, but hearing from a few more voices wouldn't have hurt. Even with that minor quibble aside, this is the best documentary I've watched all year, and definitely worth watching for those who enjoy political documentaries. 8/10
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