YEAR OF THE DOCUMENTARY

      Mr. Movie is calling 2018 the Year of the Documentary and with good reason. It was an extraordinary year for docs. My only two 10-rated films are docs, and there are plenty of others.
I admit to being a sucker for Mr. Rogers ever since my kids were little and he kept them entertained in a wholesome and uplifting way at the magic (fussy) hour of 4 p.m. Won’t You Be My Neighbor is a really good film about how he started, caught on, and enchanted children and adults alike for many years. It even has a segment where he was castigated (by Fox News, of course) for encouraging children to be comfortable with who they are. Unless you hated Mr. Rogers (and how could you?) you will enjoy this film.
Another 10 point film from last year is the little-known, but splendid, Far From The Tree. Director Rachel Dretzin chronicles four families with children that society calls abnormal, and how they deal with it. One family refuses to let their son be defined by Down’s Syndrome. Another strives to communicate with and help their severely autisitic son. One has a daughter who is the only family member who is a dwarf. And finally a family deals with the ordeal of loving a son who has committed an unspeakable crime. The incredible courage and tenacity of these families is awe-inspiring.
Strangely enough, the only documentary nominated for an Oscar that I have seen is RBG, which didn’t even win. Free Solo won and since it is about a guy climbing El Capitan without any tools, and I’m scared to death of heights, I will probably never watch it! Anyway, RBG is the incredible story of the life of Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. She has done enough in her life for six or seven stories and against incredible odds. On The Basis Of Sex is a slightly fictionalized movie about her early years and is a nice companion piece to RBG.
Three Identical Strangers is the unbelievable story of three identical triplets who were separated at birth and discovered each other in their 20's. A movie full of surprises chronicles how this separation took place and how their reunion occurs. It does not work out all that well for any of them, nor for their parents. 
They Shall Not Grow Old takes vintage footage of World War I and updates it in a chornological order. It’s not that different from all the dead guys and horses we’ve seen before, but somehow knowing it is real is a kick in the gut.
On a sunnier note, The King is a wonderful documentary about Elvis Pressley’s Rolls Royce Silver Cloud and its journey through Elvis’ America. 
Beloved Saturday Night Live alumna Gilda Radner is the subject of Love, Gilda. And whether you were a big fan or can’t really remember her, this a glowing tribute to her talent and her life. 
Finally, there is Michael Moore’s Farenheit 9/11, much loved by the French, not so much by American audiences. It contends that the Iraq war and much that follow is the fault of American corporations and their captive media. Mr. Moore is never lacking for opinions!
All of the movies in this article are available on DVD. All are for grown-ups.