John Updike: In his Own Words
Interviewee: John Updike
Interviewer: Ronald G. Shafer
Executive Producer: Michael Fields
Producer: Gina Catanzanite
Coordinating Producer: Ronald G. Shafer (as Ronald Shafer)
Script Coordinators: Ronald G. Shafer (as Ronal Shafer) and Jonathan Alexander
Post Production Audio: Bob Millslagle and Dennis Williams
Post Production Editors: Paul Byers and Kevin Conrad
As Reviewed by James Brundage
Routinely I am asked to speculate on the nature of things. Perhaps that is what the critic's role is, to be a traveling ponderer of other's works. Recently, I have been asked by the existence of John Updike: In His Own Words to ponder the nature of the documentary. I stated in a review of another documentary that my friend Ronald Shafer worked on that the point of a documentary may be to inform, but a point of human nature is to entertain oneself when possible. I revoke that statement, or, rather, I modify it. The idea of a documentary is the dispensing of information but in a format that will engage all viewers, bring them into the process.
By that definition, John Updike: In His Own Words fails as a documentary.
Although it is highly informative, the film feels more like an extended interview than an bunch of information presented in an interesting manner. The difference is likeable to that of a resume and a biography.
John Updike: In His Own Words is highly fascinating for a writer such as myself to watch, and most likely highly fascinating to a reader of Updike. However, over my years in this business, I have learned to think in terms of other demographics... and other demographics will not find this film interesting. This is a piece of academia, of pure esoteric documentary filmmaking. It has no soul or personality, only bits of information to hand out.
Although academics will tend towards academia, and almost all of us enjoy academia in our own field, academia does not have much application in the documentary filmmaking world... a world that works off of broader appeal.
John Updike: In His Own Words is a film that can only be measured as enjoyable or unenjoyable based upon a benchmark of discussion. People that find pure dialogue enjoyable will most likely enjoy the documentary, as will people that find Updike a person worth listening to. However, due to the fact that the film is cut in such a way as to focus exclusively on Updike (only a few times does anyone else's voice pop up), you have the feeling of almost experiencing idolatry while watching the movie. From the shots of the highly attentive crowd to the incredible esteem that the only other person in the movie's voice holds while talking of John Updike, the author of such books as Rabbit Run, The Coup, and The Witches of Eastwick, you have the feeling that these people worship this man, despite the man obviously not worshiping himself.
Like many films that fall into the "documentary trap" (this was the first film that my friend participated in), it feels more like watching My Dinner with Andre then getting any actual information out of it. As much of a friend as I am to Ronald G. Shafer, I cannot recommend his first film to the broad band audience. I recommend it to people who do worship Updike, or who worship the written word (as I do, I found the film fascinating), but I cannot recommend it to the Joe Schmoe. It just wouldn't be fair.
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