It often takes a patient viewer to sit through films about small-town life, but the rewards can be rich and powerful. Check out a few of these films that examine life at a slightly slower pace.
“Vernon, Florida” (1981)
Fire up the pickup and head down to this bizarre backwater town with Errol Morris, as he presents a pastiche of fascinating interviews with the weird and wonderful people of Vernon, Florida. From the passionate turkey-hunter to the peculiar pet collector, each member of this motley crew has a story to tell.
“Middletown” (1982)
This classic six-part series explores both the continuity and the change embodied in the people and institutions of one Midwestern community: Muncie, Indiana. In intimate detail, the films demonstrate how society and culture have changed less than one might think.
“Nimrod Nation” (2007)
This eight-part series profiles rural Watersmeet, Michigan, where everyone follows the progress of the high school basketball team – the Nimrods. This series sympathetically observes life and conversation in local coffee shops, hunting lodges and locker rooms as the long, cold basketball season unfolds.
