This documentary tries to answer one of the most basic questions children often have about their parents – are they really happy together? Documentary filmmaker Doug Block believed that his parents, Mike and Mina Block, had a strong, but maybe not entirely loving, marriage that lasted for 54 years. When Mina died suddenly of pneumonia, Mike shocked the family by taking a trip to Florida and reconnecting with his old secretary from work, Kitty, three months after Mina’s death. Did this mean Mike had been cheating on his wife for over 30 years?
Struggling with the news that his father has married his secretary, and that he will be moving to Florida and selling the Long Island family house, Doug Block tries to learn more about his parents and what went wrong. This process is helped greatly by old photographs, interviews with family and friends, and a surprise treasure trove of daily diary entries from Mina herself. When Doug finally agrees to read his mother’s diaries, he is in for a shock about her marriage over the years. A surprise conversation with his father towards the end of the documentary explains his father’s side of a difficult marriage and a renewed sense of love at the age of 83. Highly recommended for documentary lovers and those interested in family histories. – Reviewed by Sarah
No comments:
Post a Comment