Vernon, Florida (DVD, 2005)

Errol Morris' 1981 short docu-film, Vernon, Florida, is an assembly of interviews with some very eccentric folks in the very odd little town of Vernon Florida.

The obsessed turkey hunter, the old man and his turtle, the town policeman with nothing to do all day, a man who God helped buy a used van, and one long married couple display a jar of sand, from white sands New Mexico two-thirds full, they got on their honey moon. The sand is growing, they say, and will fill the jar in a few more years.

Vernon, Florida is Morris' second film, after his debut documentary about Pet Cemeteries, Gates of Heaven.

Whatta town!!


willtrib - EasyCityBooks NOLA

Have you ever been with a group of friends, seen something spectacular or hilarious, and thought to yourself, 'If I could only get this on tape'? That wish is satisfied in the re-release of the cinema vérité classic Vernon, Florida. Beyond that, the film documents a lifestyle in America that seems forgotten-the simple life. The characters are mostly retired folk, except the police officer, who briefly narrates the audience through a roadside speed-trap shift. Right off the bat there is an old man who asserts that making opposing circles with his right leg and arm is the stuff of greatness. Along the way, two other elderly men share their knowledge of things in life, like how long the local river has been around, or the habits of snakes and opossums. Stories of turkey hunting from two hunters, though one speaks very little, are strung out across the span of the movie, and they are the meat of the climax.
Why director Errol Morris put his hard work and money into this film is loftier than a chance of making a very small profit. There is nothing more to this documentary than people telling stories that most audiences would consider stupid or boring; there are no special effects. But take the movie at face value, a collection of such stories, of reality, and it becomes a carefully woven tapestry of what could almost be called wizardry. All the characters are nakedly honest even when they sound dumb, yet they're as smart as they need to be. They see life every day in a way most people don't. An old worm wrangler says about ?wrigglers? that he never went to school to learn about them, but everything he knows is from self-experience. Experience, one of the most powerful forces in life, may be the only thing that really matters. The characters' southern accent carried such an easiness that when they opened their mouths I felt an excited anticipation well up, like I would at the beginning of a fireside story, expecting to hear a bit of truth about life or people, and I often got it.
Religion is part of the theme as characters refer to God or their beliefs in Him. Christians believe that only God is necessary to sustain life, and this film could be taken as evidence of that. Technology and money are not a part of the film, only stories, many sounding like wives' tales of how life works. Ironically, there are no female main characters.
Quotes from the characters often cross the border from cliché into poetry. For example, 'Just knowing the woods is half the battle,' says the turkey hunter. He also describes how intense turkey hunting is for him. On the first pass, we might dismiss such thoughts as dim or unintelligent, but you don?t have to be book smart to work for God. So why shouldn't we listen to these characters? They are people, after all, and they feel the same things the rich and poor, heroes and common folk do. They're a version of us we don't have time to be.
Surviving 15 years in storage, the film's picture quality is still high. The cinematography is not spectacular, but for a documentary it is beautiful enough and the lighting works well in all scenes. Brad Fuller's editing is superb, and the sound is crisp throughout the film as well.
For being a standout film in a tough genre and offering another look at how life should be, the re-release of Vernon, Florida cements the film's place on the list of documentary classics. Maybe being a moviegoer is like hunting for turkeys: if only there were as many turkeys as there are buzzards.

We have just about worn out our VHS copy of this film, so ordered the DVD. There is a very unique set of characters in this town and the film showcases them well. We really got a laugh out of the turkey hunter and the man discussing the four "bowls" in your brain. If you have not seen this movie, do yourself a favor and watch it.

I've been to Vernon Florida and this film catches the essence of the typical tiny American any-town perfectly. I compare watching this film to watching paint dry. It is boring. But that is just the point. Residents of tiny towns live in a micro-universe where not much goes on. The lack of intellectual stimulation causes the minds of those who live there to create an alternate reality in order to cope. It's this alternate reality that make the characters so irresistible and the film fun to watch.

This DVD reminds me of life in FL when I was a kid in 1940s.
Always had charaters around ya' and there was no A/C and mostly 2 lane roads that were paved mostly in cities (not towns esp.) I bought it because I met a man that lives there and he told me about this DVD.I am thrilled I bought it ...