Absent: Movie Review – A Documentary About Fatherlessness From a Director Who Misses the Point

[Zadoc]

Full Article:

Excerpt:

This documentary about absent fathers by young filmmaker Justin Hunt groans under the weight of post hoc statistics and does little more to show that some people who grew up fatherless and made bad decisions while at the same time reminding us that Metallica is cool.


The movie begins with the “powerful imagery” of a little girl, played by insert name’s daughter, attempting to learn how to ride a bicycle all by herself. She straps on her helmet, gets on the bike, and falls repeatedly, and eventually gets injured, cries, and gives up. If only she had her father there to teach her how.

The question I am left with is this: Where is her mother?

It’s a question that came to my mind again and again as the movie dragged on and leapt from one broad generalization to another.

The message is that children need their fathers. Being a father myself, I whole heartedly understand that point. Being fatherless myself, this movie doesn’t speak to me at all.

Poll: Is growing up without a father an excuse to do drugs, be a prostitute, or take up a life of crime?

[SheilaT]

1. Or why was the person with the camera

content just to watch and film and never help.

[Igel]

2. Predictive stats wouldn't have done much better.

They basically suck for fatherless kids.

Haven't seen the movie. Doubt I'll see the movie. Then again, I can read the stats, have read many columns of stats, and have seen a fair number of fatherless kids. There are exceptions to the generalizations, but not to the stats (which, after all, include the "exceptions" in the standard deviation). Mostly the kids I've seen fall within one standard deviation of what the stats say, which is pretty much what you'd expect.

Sadly, the kids, when presented with the stats, tend to deny them or get angry at their predictions--as though the standard deviations weren't there. (Then again, given the mathematical ability of these sophomores through seniors, it's more accurate to say their statistical chops aren't there.)