This documentary of a Smalltown, USA in rural Florida is a one-of-a-kind true comedy. Morris' choosing of the particular characters recorded and the events chronicled are genius. A quirky preacher who shares with us and his congregation his logic on semantics; a hunter who "specializes" in turkey gobblers; and an elderly man who likes to catch and keep wild critters all add to the deliciously funny charm of this documentary of rural life. His style of letting the characters speak for themselves is truly a work of art in this film. Watching "Vernon, Florida" is the equivalent of reading the "Foxfire" journals with a similar dose of the arcane knowledge that only rural, American, small-town residents possess. Definitely worth watching more than once.
49 Reviews
postcard from Sunny Florida
postmanwhoalwaysringstwice7 October 2006
Errol Morris' 1981 brief documentary "Vernon, Florida" feels like the promotional film Disney never wanted the world to see. It offers an alternative look at the small nook and cranny towns that lurk between the few major cities that Florida houses. As with many of Morris' other work the main drive here is to tell the stories of the real life human characters. In this case, it's just under an hour's worth of backwoods stories told beneath a series of thick Southern accents ranging from the how-to guide on properly hunting turkeys to a lonely cop musing on the local criminal activity to a preacher's dissection of the dictionary. It's enduring and irritating, as well as eye-opening and mind-numbing. The film offers a unique glimpse into the human psyche that is possibly one of the most unlikely places to find comedy. This trip to Florida's panhandle is well worth the gas money.
Incredible
gavin694220 May 2013
Early Errol Morris documentary intersplices random chatter he captured on film of the genuinely eccentric residents of Vernon, Florida. A few examples? The preacher giving a sermon on the definition of the word "Therefore," and the obsessive turkey hunter who speaks reverentially of the "gobblers" he likes to track down and kill.
I love the discussion of the four-track mind, and I love the man who has the living opossum. But more than anything else, the "therefore" sermon is amazing -- he assumes Paul used that word, and then goes off on a weird series of connections that have nothing to do with anything. Capturing this on film is priceless.
What inspired this? I have no idea. Apparently originally it was supposed to focus on residents who purposely cut off their own limbs to collect insurance money. And is it representative of the city as a whole? I would certainly hope not. But with a population under 800, this film does show a big enough cross section to say something about the citizens.
I love the discussion of the four-track mind, and I love the man who has the living opossum. But more than anything else, the "therefore" sermon is amazing -- he assumes Paul used that word, and then goes off on a weird series of connections that have nothing to do with anything. Capturing this on film is priceless.
What inspired this? I have no idea. Apparently originally it was supposed to focus on residents who purposely cut off their own limbs to collect insurance money. And is it representative of the city as a whole? I would certainly hope not. But with a population under 800, this film does show a big enough cross section to say something about the citizens.
I still live in vernon
shipes_j3 October 2006
well near it.....I remember seeing errol morris one autumn afternoon as he stood in the street with tripod and camera back in 1981....I had just gotten off from work at the elementary school (where I still teach)....its hard to remember how different things were then...because the physical side of vernon is still the same....although this is going to change soon....the widening of the main street is going to literally wipe out the town as we know it.
the jury is still out on the purpose of morris' film....most of the town folk look at it today as a mockery....however some who were in it thought differently then (movie stars)....I watched it recently (again) and took it at face value...it was funny....however knowing vernon like I do...I must say that in my days at vernon high school...I remember variety in the culture....all were not rednecks or eccentrics...
morris just let the cameras roll....if there were any genius in the filmaking....it was in the editing...as these characters were patched together to create this look at a seedy, unique town.
to me the "condescending" (as some of the critics have declared) part is summed up in the music (if you can call it music) at the very beginning...this sets the tone for the entire picture....on the other hand...the genuine honesty and realism in the turkey hunter's interview is just that...the reason I know that.... he is my cousin...I have known him all of my life...that attention to details is the way he tells stories...I have heard countless ones through the years.
the jury is still out on the purpose of morris' film....most of the town folk look at it today as a mockery....however some who were in it thought differently then (movie stars)....I watched it recently (again) and took it at face value...it was funny....however knowing vernon like I do...I must say that in my days at vernon high school...I remember variety in the culture....all were not rednecks or eccentrics...
morris just let the cameras roll....if there were any genius in the filmaking....it was in the editing...as these characters were patched together to create this look at a seedy, unique town.
to me the "condescending" (as some of the critics have declared) part is summed up in the music (if you can call it music) at the very beginning...this sets the tone for the entire picture....on the other hand...the genuine honesty and realism in the turkey hunter's interview is just that...the reason I know that.... he is my cousin...I have known him all of my life...that attention to details is the way he tells stories...I have heard countless ones through the years.
A little too close to home...
cook122926 August 2001
I'm from Marianna, Florida, which is about 20 minutes from Vernon. Take that for what it's worth, but this film reminds me of both why I left and why I sometimes long to return.
Errol Morris finds some of the most beautiful freaks ever committed to film. Any fan of the documentary film medium is doing themselves a disservice by not viewing this film a number of times.
I regard "Vernon, Florida" as up there with what is in my opinion Errol's best work -- "Gates of Heaven", "The Thin Blue Line," and "A Brief History of Time."
"'I like the idea of making films about ostensibly nothing,' Morris told The New Yorker's Mark Singer. 'That's what all my movies are about. That and the idea that we're in a position of certainty, truth, infallible knowledge, when actually we're just a bunch of apes running around.'"
That's what I enjoy about Errol's films -- grabbing hold of just about any bit of chaos in the universe, and being able to find and appreciating the beauty and wonder that it holds.
Errol Morris finds some of the most beautiful freaks ever committed to film. Any fan of the documentary film medium is doing themselves a disservice by not viewing this film a number of times.
I regard "Vernon, Florida" as up there with what is in my opinion Errol's best work -- "Gates of Heaven", "The Thin Blue Line," and "A Brief History of Time."
"'I like the idea of making films about ostensibly nothing,' Morris told The New Yorker's Mark Singer. 'That's what all my movies are about. That and the idea that we're in a position of certainty, truth, infallible knowledge, when actually we're just a bunch of apes running around.'"
That's what I enjoy about Errol's films -- grabbing hold of just about any bit of chaos in the universe, and being able to find and appreciating the beauty and wonder that it holds.
A Slower Pace of Life. Nothing to Be Ashamed Of.
pruiett28 March 2018
I lived in Florida a good part of my life and traveled to areas like Vernon. I had "country boy" friends in these areas, people I truly enjoyed visiting. They had time for life and time for others. I once came into Perry, Florida to see a preacher friend, but did not know where he lived. I stopped in the first church I came to and asked if they knew him. I was motioned into the pastor's office, where the senior pastor was seated in camos sharpening hunting knives. He got on the phone to my friend (who pastored another church a few miles away) and said, "Boy! Got folks here lookin' for you."
After supper as we were getting into our van to go to Wednesday prayer meeting, one of his goats jumped in and sat proudly on my velour seat. My friend said, "Yep . . . She'll load up on ye."
So, this documentary is true to life in slower rural areas. The folks seem funny, only because we are used to our fast-paced and so called "intelligent" suburban lives. In the final analysis, who ends the game happier, he who took time to live, or he who lived wishing he had found time?
After supper as we were getting into our van to go to Wednesday prayer meeting, one of his goats jumped in and sat proudly on my velour seat. My friend said, "Yep . . . She'll load up on ye."
So, this documentary is true to life in slower rural areas. The folks seem funny, only because we are used to our fast-paced and so called "intelligent" suburban lives. In the final analysis, who ends the game happier, he who took time to live, or he who lived wishing he had found time?
another Morris treat
soontobewriter3 October 2006
I am grateful to Werner Herzog for convincing Errol Morris to become a filmmaker. "Vernon, Florida" is an intriguing look at the inhabitants of a small town with a beautiful setting in the southern United States. Like most of his films, if not all, Morris remains completely aloof, and instead allows his subjects to speak for themselves. One can easily mock the old, toothless men and the man who just loves "gobblers" (turkeys) but that would be too easy. There is something poignant about the way the people of this small town attempt to express their feelings, as if in many cases, they do not have the vocabulary to articulate their ideas. However, underlying their simple way of life is something that touches humanity. They love their lives and live them day to day without a care in the world. A friend of mine said that these guys are actually a lot smarter than we think because they know something better than probably anyone else around, even if it is cultivating worms. I think perhaps they know a lot more than we think about what it is to be human; they are earnest and humble. I watched this film three times and after each viewing I came to have a deeper appreciation for every one of them. Errol Morris is perhaps the best documentary filmmaker around today and this film was a little treat. A must see for all.
Silly people say unbelievable things.
sgmi-5357926 June 2023
There's definitely an audience for this film. The question: are you part of that audience? Do you enjoy silly people saying unbelievable things? Then, this film may be for you! I want to believe the filmmaker had some greater aim, some higher calling to show the commonality in all man. The unify. To enlighten. Nope. It truly appears he just aimed the camera at the most, ahem, interesting townsfolk he could find, and let it ride. Episodic in nature, Morris introduces us to a group of Vernon residents, and they tell stories, give opinions ; often leave us flabbergasted. These days, clips from a project like this would become viral videos, so you could call this the grandfather to viral videos. But, much like the modern contemporaries, these vignettes begin to wear thin, and that's the main complaint: even at a running time less than one hour, this begins to drag, abd crawl to it's final destination. How much you enjoy this film will depend on how much you enjoy this type of work. Fascinating and singular, but not for everyone.
One of the best documentaries I've ever seen
skipsizemore3 November 1998
Vernon, Florida consists entirely of the stories and opinions of the residents of a sleepy little southern town, without narration or comments from the filmmakers. Many of the residents are eccentric, and some, perhaps, are a bit nervous to be in front of the camera. But the filmmakers wisely chose to allow the residents to say whatever they felt was important, so that the end result, though sometimes comical, is actually quite respectful and dignified. The editing is fabulous-- no abrupt starts or stops, nothing boring, and nothing that appears to be taken out of context.
Vernon, Florida is hard to find, so if you see a copy, by all means check it out.
This is the way documentaries should be made!
Vernon, Florida is hard to find, so if you see a copy, by all means check it out.
This is the way documentaries should be made!
falling off the map
mjneu5913 January 2011
If Jacques Tati had ever made a documentary it might have looked something like this: an inconsequential but humorous look at life in a community so far off the beaten track (on the Florida panhandle, some 90 miles west of Tallahassee) that the town's only law enforcement officer sits bored in his patrol car hour after hour, waiting to cite the occasional speeder. Director Errol Morris's strategy is simple: keep the camera rolling, and don't interrupt. The result is an oddly skewed but still endearing portrait of back-roads America, shot in grainy 16mm and rambling on for about sixty minutes before arriving at an abrupt non-ending. Among the town's more-or-less typical citizens (from a population of 885 at the time) are a worm farmer, an elderly couple with a jar of what they believe is radioactive sand, and a hunter in camouflage fatigues tracking wild turkey with the life-or-death conviction of Hemingway on safari.
unsure
ethylester2 October 2006
I am not sure what to think about this movie. To me, it was just some people talking about their daily, original thoughts. I know people like this. I might be someone like this one day. I guess I don't see the point in it. I felt like the filmmaker was trying to prove something - but what? I couldn't figure it out.
And did anyone notice there are NO WOMEN who tell stories in Vernon, (except the wife at the end)? Why is this? Was the filmmaker only trying to make a movie about old men? Or did the women of Vernon have boring stories to tell? I suppose this could be compared to a folklore collection. The rural folks, telling their stories, with or without a point. I love reading rural folklore because it often seems abstract, simple and enlightening at the same time. Even if you didn't live in that time period or under those circumstances, you can relate it to your life. I am sure I would have loved to talk to these old men about their lives. I could have easily sat at the bench with the opossum/turtle guy for hours hearing his stories. I would have been touched to ride on the boat with the man who talked about God, and he probably would have made some good points. It's not a big deal.
Yes, he cracked me up when he said "I was the only person he knew that knows what to do with a opossum!" and then he held it by the tail and watched it try to walk away, and nothing else. Yes, I laughed when the preacher talked about the word "therefore" forever because it seemed sort of pointless. But, I am just thinking - so what? What's new? Also, what is the filmmaker trying to prove here? am I supposed to be laughing? There are people like this everywhere, and there always has been. Pick up any oral folklore book and you will find this film isn't an idea worth calling "brilliant".
Go outside, talk to people. There are folks like this everywhere. Not just in Vernon, Florida. Maybe the reason people like it so much is that it captures this kind of personality in a raw and visual way. But you could do the same thing if you went outside your city limits and had some conversations with strangers. These people aren't freaks, they aren't even that weird, comparatively. They live their lives and they are happy, for the most part. Isn't that what everyone wants? I just don't think it's that weird and wacky. It's life.
I don't get it. Also, I would have liked to see more women in Vernon. 5/10.
And did anyone notice there are NO WOMEN who tell stories in Vernon, (except the wife at the end)? Why is this? Was the filmmaker only trying to make a movie about old men? Or did the women of Vernon have boring stories to tell? I suppose this could be compared to a folklore collection. The rural folks, telling their stories, with or without a point. I love reading rural folklore because it often seems abstract, simple and enlightening at the same time. Even if you didn't live in that time period or under those circumstances, you can relate it to your life. I am sure I would have loved to talk to these old men about their lives. I could have easily sat at the bench with the opossum/turtle guy for hours hearing his stories. I would have been touched to ride on the boat with the man who talked about God, and he probably would have made some good points. It's not a big deal.
Yes, he cracked me up when he said "I was the only person he knew that knows what to do with a opossum!" and then he held it by the tail and watched it try to walk away, and nothing else. Yes, I laughed when the preacher talked about the word "therefore" forever because it seemed sort of pointless. But, I am just thinking - so what? What's new? Also, what is the filmmaker trying to prove here? am I supposed to be laughing? There are people like this everywhere, and there always has been. Pick up any oral folklore book and you will find this film isn't an idea worth calling "brilliant".
Go outside, talk to people. There are folks like this everywhere. Not just in Vernon, Florida. Maybe the reason people like it so much is that it captures this kind of personality in a raw and visual way. But you could do the same thing if you went outside your city limits and had some conversations with strangers. These people aren't freaks, they aren't even that weird, comparatively. They live their lives and they are happy, for the most part. Isn't that what everyone wants? I just don't think it's that weird and wacky. It's life.
I don't get it. Also, I would have liked to see more women in Vernon. 5/10.
Complex & Wonderful Documentary From Errol Morris
davidals15 September 2003
I first saw VERNON Florida about 10 years ago, while living in a small town in the mountains of Western North Carolina, and it hit really close to home. The film at first almost seems condescending - quirky small-town Southerners are an unfortunately easy target for artistes, and stereotypes are so, so tiresome. But Morris has real affection for his subjects - they never seem undignified, and basic human emotions (like the turkey hunter's rampaging enthusiasm, and his eloquent descriptions of his emotional reaction while on a hunt) do really shine through here. And in small towns, a certain home-grown individuality CAN fluorish, and this film underscores that in great fashion, and for all of the quirk seen here, Morris (or his subjects) really also get close to some sort of swamp-bred Zen, graceful and succinct. Morris' style and pacing reminds me a little of Herzog, or maybe Ozu, where a still and unmoving camera perfectly captures the dignity and charm of his subjects, while preserving all of their quirks. Overall, this very accomplished documentary is surprising and well worth a look.
Solid
Cosmoeticadotcom1 September 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Errol Morris's 1982 documentary Vernon, Florida, is rife with a great backstory; one that is interesting as the quirky townsfolk it portrays, This was Morris's second stab at the documentary form- after his earlier Gates Of Heaven, and it detailed the ramblings of a number of wacky folk from the town. Initially, the legend goes, Morris was drawn to Vernon- a Panhandle town, because, over the prior quarter century dozens of residents had taken up the bizarre practice of cutting off assorted limbs of theirs to collect large insurance payments. The working title of the film was Nub City, but Morris changed the title and focus once several people threatened his life. Morris is said to have chimed in, 'They literally became a fraction of themselves to become whole financially.' Yet, the truth is that the sorts of wacky folk portrayed live all over America, and the world- I saw them growing up in New York City, I've seen them in Midwestern suburbs and Great Lakes fishing towns, as well as the heart of Texas. Thus, the thing that I found the most interesting was that this 56 minute long film was not originally a theatrical release, but made for WNET, the New York City public television station. Given how formulaic most PBS documentaries have become in the quarter century since this film's release, that, alone, is a fact worth pondering.
It's Not 'Camp;' It's Just Boring
ccthemovieman-112 June 2007
Yes, I know this is a dry, sarcastic humor and usually I enjoy that sort of thing. However, this is really more of just an elitist filmmaker nastily poking fun at some backwoods-type people, making them look as stupid as he can up in his high-and-mighty perch as a supposedly intelligent maker of film. That's the way I looked at Errol Morris's documentary here. In truth, this is probably the worst of his films and I've seen most of them. They usually are very slanted with his obvious biases, but they're interesting, albeit many times condescending. This one was just plain boring.
I mean, how long can you sit there and watch some hillbilly talk for 20 straight minutes about turkey hunting? That's entertainment? Even if you think the guy is so dumb or absurd you might laugh at him in the beginning, after a short time it's just boring. It goes on and on and on.
I guess some label this as "camp," but the latter has to have some entertainment value. Listening to someone drone on and on about a boring topic is only good for one thing: putting the viewer to sleep.
I mean, how long can you sit there and watch some hillbilly talk for 20 straight minutes about turkey hunting? That's entertainment? Even if you think the guy is so dumb or absurd you might laugh at him in the beginning, after a short time it's just boring. It goes on and on and on.
I guess some label this as "camp," but the latter has to have some entertainment value. Listening to someone drone on and on about a boring topic is only good for one thing: putting the viewer to sleep.
My home town.
hvolleynut3325 July 2007
I think it is so funny that the small town from which I grew up has its very own DVD. The funny thing is the people are really like that in Vernon. I know Snake and Henry and they are some of the best people you will ever meet. The thing that was very amusing is they only showed talked with people who are kind of "out there" so to speak. But I think the movie is great. It reminds me of all the great times that I had in that town.You cherish times and places in life and Vernon is truly a place thats one of a kind. My parents still live there and own a Farm Supply Store in which they bring in a lot of customers from surrounding areas. Thanks to the producer and his team for making the movie.
Morris captures the absurd, and shows that it exists in all of us
cdrake99922 January 2000
You may get the feeling that you are watching some sort of bizarre freak show while you are watching Vernon, Fla. Morris uses his unique style of interviewing to get his subjects to wax philosophic on a wide variety of subjects, exposing both their strange senses of reality and their humanity at once. All of the people examined in the film have somehow created rich, meaningful worlds from their otherwise depressing existences in this tiny Florida town. The film is hilarious most of the time, with one bizarre story after another, but somehow the viewer emerges from it feeling "there but for the grace of God go I".
Vernon Florida
aakash-karkare19 October 2010
Errol Morris made Vernon, Florida way before he made Gates of Heaven. Werner Herzog gave him 2,000 dollars cash to make this movie. We must go and thank Mr. Herzog for helping Errol Morris become a director so we could watch his wonderful movies.
Vernon, Florida is about the people in Vernon, Florida a small town with a small population in Florida. The people are very obsessed with hunting. It occupies a lot of their time. Despite this Errol who as usual shows his deep love for anything he films and brings out a weird beauty ion his interaction with these oddball characters.
Morris has a very good eye for these characters. He must have tons of footage of all these people. I imagine he sits up late into the night and just watches and re - watches all the unused footage he has of these characters.
There are many characters. A policeman who has very little to do in the afternoon. A man obsessed with hunting turkeys. A man who has a lot of pets and who claims to have been bitten by anything in the forest except rattlesnakes. " I watch out for those" he says.
Vernon Florida is a beautiful movie. It is a movie to be seen to know more about people that no longer exist. What a forgotten generation was like. It is a fascinating insight into human psyche.
Vernon, Florida is about the people in Vernon, Florida a small town with a small population in Florida. The people are very obsessed with hunting. It occupies a lot of their time. Despite this Errol who as usual shows his deep love for anything he films and brings out a weird beauty ion his interaction with these oddball characters.
Morris has a very good eye for these characters. He must have tons of footage of all these people. I imagine he sits up late into the night and just watches and re - watches all the unused footage he has of these characters.
There are many characters. A policeman who has very little to do in the afternoon. A man obsessed with hunting turkeys. A man who has a lot of pets and who claims to have been bitten by anything in the forest except rattlesnakes. " I watch out for those" he says.
Vernon Florida is a beautiful movie. It is a movie to be seen to know more about people that no longer exist. What a forgotten generation was like. It is a fascinating insight into human psyche.
Without question, a terrific, funny documentary.
richard-7642 February 2005
Errol Morris went to Vernon, Fla because it had a reputation for excessive insurance claims due to missing limbs. Known as "Stump City," Vernon turned out to be much more--a place seemingly filled with odd characters. Morris spent a year there, gaining the locals' confidence and doing interviews that are priceless. I can't recommend this too much. I was passing through Florida three years ago and saw a turnoff to Vernon. I went there anticipating the same characters would be hanging out at the gas station watching someone change a tire...then I realized that it was filmed 20 years earlier, and most may have passed away. I shot photos and went on my way. Trust me, Vernon, Florida is a classic.
Interesting
broggoethe14 September 2022
I had read about this doc a year or so ago and they referred to it as Nub city or Stump city where people were cutting off their own limbs for insurance money. I didnt see how this was possible.
I found the movie and was saddened to see there was not one mention of the "nubs". The way I understand it, he started out to make a doc about that and maybe he showed it to the townfolks and they didnt like it, threatened him and he changed it all around to make it into a short doc about a really small town in Florida.
I was born and raised in Florida and there are quite a few innaresting folks here, no doubt. I wish I would have thought of making a doc about Bayard 40 years ago.
Check it out.
I found the movie and was saddened to see there was not one mention of the "nubs". The way I understand it, he started out to make a doc about that and maybe he showed it to the townfolks and they didnt like it, threatened him and he changed it all around to make it into a short doc about a really small town in Florida.
I was born and raised in Florida and there are quite a few innaresting folks here, no doubt. I wish I would have thought of making a doc about Bayard 40 years ago.
Check it out.
Fresh and innovative documentary
pegina7 January 2000
Everyone knows Errol Morris from The Thin Blue Line and A Brief History of Time but Vernon, Florida really is his most raw and most intriguing film. He lets the viewer get a real complete view of his interviewees and it's just fabulous.
Dull
MnemonicDevice22 June 2009
Ever been on a train or in a bar or at a party where some socially retarded person corners you into listening to some pointless, rambling monologue about their job, their hobby or their relationship with their parents? That's exactly what this movie feels like. Back in the early 80s Errol Morris, the guy who made "The Thin Blue Line", went to the little podunk town of Vernon, Florida and filmed various residents flapping their gums about whatever they felt like talking about. Not surprisingly the movie is an excruciatingly boring viewing experience. It's only 55 minutes long but it feels like about five hours. It's considered kind of a cult classic but damned if I know why. It's seriously one of the worst documentaries I've ever seen.
Funniest documentary of all time!!!!
meryles9 December 2002
Geez, this movie is GREAT. i laughed so hard i turned red and then purple and very nearly blue. The people Mr. Morris documents are fabulously fascinating and overwhelmingly odd. There IS nothing that compares. I can barely even write about it, because it not only has to be watched, it has to be recounted to your friends in funny voices and fake accents, and then watched again and again. Vernon FL is apparently filled with eccentric scientific principles reminiscent of the 15th century, and impressive grammar that the best stand-up comedian in the world couldn't compete with, because it is all genuine, all of it. I just cannot stress enough how much you need to see this film. Even if you have no sense of humor, you will at least appreciate the character studies and the overwhelming irony of The Human Condition (and so forth, and so on, etc etc).
Condescending, disrespectful mocking of elderly Floridians
Jay Zink4 March 2000
As in many different types of art, there is fine line between that which entertains or engrosses the observer and that which steps over the line. This movie steps over that line. While you could go along with a respectful portrayal of those that lead lives very different than your own, it's hard to watch what essentially is a mocking commentary on a group of elderly people living in what appears to be backwoods Florida. Many might say that I don't "get" the movie, but it was just too painful to watch what essentially boils down to making fun of uneducated senior citizens. It simply did not leave these people with any form of dignity.
Creepily eccentric at times, quietly poignant at others equals excellence
irvingc11 July 2003
I was fortunate when it came to viewing Vernon, Florida. It's a very small world in Hollywood and outside of that circle it seems you're lucky to know anybody. In documentary film-making I'd imagine that world shrinks even further with the film maker's and assistants spread out few and far between. While studying film production in West Palm, Florida I was lucky enough to have a teach who was a former student of Errol Morris. My opinion must have been in favor of thumbs up for Vernon - simply because our class was given more insight. An average viewer might shrug and scoff "Vernon" for being just an hour or so worth of candid interviews with crazy local yocals who have such a distorted view of reality their opinions just seem ludicrous. With a small introduction by Morris himself and highlights of Vernon by our teacher Mike -- the experience was more nostalgic, like watching embarrassing home movies of people you know. There's more behind "Vernon" then I think people realize, And much more explicitness to the likings of Snake the turkey hunter and others. The real crime here is that almost no one will ever know about it. The subtext sort of hangs in limbo because there's no narration and only so much we can learn about these people that they're not willing to reveal on their own. Still, this is the early work of a master docu film maker. It's the earliest example of how Morris' favorite angle for the depiction of society is through the wormhole everyone seems to hide the dark side. Something he explained with almost shocking tenacity in Mr. Death - perhaps his best work. Vernon, Florida is a freakfest, a splash of cold water that reality doesn't look the way you think it does. It's flat and unblinkingly straightforward and best of all... like it's characters, it doesn't seem to care in making much of a point, which ironically is the point itself.
I really liked this documentary.
ross.a.hooge13 March 2000
This is a truly wonderful and entertaining documentary. I only wish it were longer. 60 minutes was not enough. Although some may feel that this film makes fun of the rural Florida senior citizens, I found it charming. It reminded me of my grandparents' stories of rural Minnesota and North Dakota. The turkey hunter is especially good. I only wish I had such a passsion for a hobby.
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