The Grange Fair – An American Tradition (2005 Documentary/Inecom)
Picture:
C Sound: C Extras: C Documentary: B-
With
rural life cut so much into as the government sides with corporations more than
independent farmers, many of the traditions that made the simple life so good
have been fading. Even with the new
organic movement, events like Grange Fairs that used to be as numerous and
common as drive-in theaters, bowling alleys and good bakeries, are fading
away. In 2005, Joe Myers made a very
good documentary with Penn State University called The Grange Fair – An American Tradition.
Running
an always interesting 86 minutes, he finds one that is alive, well and in
demand. It becomes a social tradition
that farmers and their families can enjoy, involving livestock and cooking more
than the usual state fair or local bake off might entail. It is also a look at a great side of the U.S.
that is often ignored, especially by big media, and one that is frankly
belittled and even made fun of at its worse by a certain snob mentality that
has not helped anyone.
Of
course, the children often steal the show with their naive and often charming
takes on what is going on versus the reality of a given situation. But most important, this takes you to a real place
where “reality TV” never could and by being so rich and effective, rightly won
an Emmy Award for this pleasant surprise.
Give or take PETA and like organizations, maybe the organic movement
will cause this to be revived. This DVD
could not hurt that cause.
The
anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image was shot in digital video of some kind,
but is soft throughout, despite a clean and consistent image. The Dolby Digital 2.0 is simple stereo, yet a
little too low and compressed, though the actual location recordings seem just
fine. Extras include a bunch of trailers
for other great Inecom releases on DVD we have looked at, including Expo, The Johnstown Flood and The
Horses Of Gettysburg.
- Nicholas Sheffo
