"51 Birch Street" (Documentary) (2005) - Movie Review

My father worked most of his life trying to run our family to the fullest capability and still is doing in an unimaginable way possible. He has almost retired and for some reason in our society majority of the parents expends their life towards saving money, raising kids and following customs. The opportunity to rope in their dreams is considered ridiculous and not pragmatic enough. After their retirement, the time is there. May be health is not as much supportive as it will be but things can be worked out for passion. Apart from that, the other factors are the society, feeling of not fully functional as they used to be, other people looking through the magnifying glass but I realized one thing. While I still now and then carefully bring up the discussion of it with my father, this movie has opened up a new avenue not alone in understanding him more but also for them it would be the revelation of anyone’s marriage, career, passion and the concept of perspective on it is never too late for anything. It also brought in some of the other thoughts I already had. It is the bitterest pill to swallow. The truth that most of us do not know our father as any friend would know his.

“51 Birch Street” is a documentary by Doug Block who carefully, skillfully surgically analysis the fifty years of marriage his parents had. And the deepest shock which lead to this research on how everything changed when his father Mike Block reconnected and got married with his secretary Kitty some 35 years ago, three months after the death of his wife Mina Block. This is a journey towards the past which in every way possible would have been matter of denial and shying away from the truth. Thankfully and bravely his father and Doug opens the channel of communication slowly and steadily. And his mother maintained diaries almost all her life which opens the connection to the true world for every one in his family.

Every one knows about the dynamics of faking happy family for the society. Initially it is the practice at least in the society where I grew up but once the kids pop up, any two reasonable adult will then pretend for the betterment of their children. Is it worth it? Is the social obligation good enough for an unhappy marriage? Is it worth the sacrifice of full lifetime for the children? The problem with each and every one is the communication of expressions. Be it with fellow co-worker, waiting in line or chat disconnection. We assume things. The energy we spend on aggravating the anger is more than the simpler of two small words to the concerned person. Think about this happening for rest of your life with your better half. Some might be jokingly saying, “Is not that how marriage works? Comfortably acknowledging the absence of each other’s anger and frustration?” The documentary is the revelation of those inner dark family secrets.

I bow myself to the honesty of all the people who participated in the documentary. Their openness is what has helped Doug both in movie and personal front to project and prosper from it. Without that honesty, I cannot imagine how devastating and totally shocking it would have turned out to be. It is a movement for the society all over the world. It is the time to look up the facts in life which might astonish them but nevertheless will be time to avoid regrets and act on the problem.

The beautiful nature of the movie is that the problems seem to get identified starting from slightest sensation of uncomfortable ness and climbing all the way up to say that may be we chose ourselves wrong. But more than that, departing need not be the worst. It is a mutual agreement on the disagreement. Elongating it is further going to cause lot of hearts to be torn and sling shot millions of miles away from the earth.

The documentary has moments of irony. While it is evident that both Mike Block and Mina Block were not happy during their marriage, they talked about it and for some reason had the commonality of thoughts to understand the situation. For better or worse they stuck together for that. They remained tightened up for their children. This friendship is what amazes me. Doug being behind the camera and also in front when required shows the tension when the interviewer gets the tabled turned. At start along with the family we threw in our judgments toward lot of thing we were not aware of. As the movie progresses the truth confuses us as that to Doug. The viewers might place the scenario of two things to them. Evaluate their marriage life. The second is the killer of the two, which is to know their parents not as parents but as people. “The Up Series” reflects the nature of the life in a different culture with similarities. “51 Birch Street” is a universal language of expression which is been missed and being missed in every single member in the family throughout the world. Some movies are to be seen as on how important is to breathe. This movie is to be breathed before any one dies. Because it is never too late.