Cinema Verite

---

THERE'S A PROGRAM BEING SEEN

ON P.B.S. NETWORK AT THE MOMENT.

AND IT'S CALLED

"AN AMERICAN FAMILY."

AND IT'S AN EXTRAORDINARY

DOCUMENTARY. IT'S IN 12 PARTS.

AND IT PROBES:

THE DAY-TO-DAY LIVES

OF A FAMILY FROM

SANTA BARBARA, CALIFORNIA.

THEY AGREED:

TO LET A FILM CREW

LIVE WITH THEM:

FOR MONTHS ON END

AND THEIR MOST PRIVATE

MOMENTS HAVE BECOME PUBLIC.

THE SERIES HAS BEEN WIDELY

REVIEWED AND CRITICIZED.

AND NOBODY IS SURE--

MAYBE THEY'RE NOT--

WHY THEY LET THEMSELVES IN

FOR SOME OF THE THINGS THEY DID.

BUT THAT'LL BE ONE OF THE THINGS

MAYBE WE WILL BE ABLE TO FIND OUT.

I HAD THIS VISION

OF THE LOUD FAMILY

THAT I JUS COULDN'T SHAKE--

SEVEN PEOPLE:

STANDING SHOULDER TO SHOULDER

IN SOLIDARITY,

BONDED BY BLOOD:

AND TIME AND LOVE...

WITH A HUSBAND AND A FATHER

WHO WAS HOME AND THERE FOR US ALL.

STARS SHINING BRIGH ABOVE YOU

NIGHT BREEZES:

SEEM TO WHISPER:

I LOVE YOU:

BIRDS SINGING:

IN THE SYCAMORE TREE

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

OF ME:

SAY NIGHTY-NIGH AND KISS ME

JUST HOLD ME TIGHT

AND TELL ME:

YOU'LL MISS ME

WHILE I'M ALONE

AND BLUE AS CAN BE

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

OF ME:

STARS FADING:

BUT I LINGER ON, DEAR

STILL CRAVING:

YOUR KISS:

I'M LONGING TO LINGER

TILL DAWN, DEAR

JUST SAYING THIS

SWEET DREAMS TILL SUNBEAMS

FIND YOU:

SWEET DREAMS THAT LEAVE

ALL WORRIES:

BEHIND YOU:

BUT IN YOUR DREAMS

WHATEVER THEY BE

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

OF ME...

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

OF ME...

- PAT.

- MARY.

OH, RIGHT ON TIME.

WHAT IS THIS ALL ABOUT?

OH, YOU'LL SEE.

COME, DEAR.

WE'RE SITTING RIGHT UP THERE.

CRAIG.

CRAIG GILBERT,

THIS IS PAT LOUD.

- HELLO.

- A PLEASURE.

- CRAIG'S A VISITOR FROM

THE BIG APPLE. - OH.

- HE'S FRIENDS WITH

MY EDITOR. - WELCOME.

WELL, PLEASE, SIT SIT.

CRAIG'S WORKING ON

A VERY INTERESTING PROJECT.

WELL, I MAKE

DOCUMENTARY FILMS, PAT--

NOTHING YOU'D

HAVE HEARD OF.

RECENTLY I JUST DID SOMETHING

ON THE WORK OF MARGARET MEAD.

SHE'S A WELL-KNOWN

ANTHROPOLOGIST.

YES, SHE WROTE "COMING OF AGE IN SAMOA,"

WHICH I QUITE ENJOYED.

- I'M IMPRESSED. - SHE'S

DEAD ON ABOUT GENDER ROLES.

FATHERS ARE BIOLOGICAL NECESSITIES,

BUT SOCIAL ACCIDENTS.

SHE ALSO SAID, "I DON'T BELIEVE IN

USING WOMEN IN COMBAT BECAUSE

- THE FEMALES ARE TOO FIERCE."

- "FEMALES ARE TOO FIERCE."

WHY IS IT I THINK WE ALREADY KNOW

MORE ABOUT EACH OTHER THAN WE SHOULD?

DIDN'T I TELL YOU?

SHE'S PERFECT.

PAT, I WANT TO OBSERVE

AN AMERICAN FAMILY

MUCH LIKE MARGARE OBSERVED A PRIMITIVE ONE,

EXCEPT THIS TIME I'D LIKE THE CAMERA

TEAM TO MOVE IN WITH THE FAMILY.

AND I THINK THAT I FOUND

MY FAMILY LAST NIGH

WHEN MARY TOLD ME ABOUT YOU

AND SHOWED ME:

THIS WONDERFUL:

CHRISTMAS CARD.

MM, WHY WOULD ANYONE WAN TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH A THING?

WELL, TO EDUCATE. TO BE PAR OF A BRAVE NEW EXPERIMEN

WITH A REAL FAMILY,

WITH REAL PEOPLE

THAT AUDIENCES:

CAN RELATE TO.

YOU WERE HIS FIRST CHOICE. I SHOWED

HIM THE CARTERS, THE PERCYS, THE HALLS.

THEY'RE ALWAYS

IN HER SOCIETY COLUMN.

YES, BUT NONE ARE AS

INTERESTING AS THE LOUD FAMILY.

AND HER KIDS--

HER KIDS ARE SO POPULAR.

EVERYONE'S ALWAYS

TALKING ABOUT THEM.

TIME:

IS ON MY SIDE:

YES, IT IS

TIME:

IS ON MY SIDE:

YES, IT IS

NOW YOU WERE SAYING

THAT YOU WAN TO BE FREE....

LANCE, WAIT UP.

COME ON, HURRY UP.

I CAN'T MISS IT.

DADDY TRIED TO BE HERE TOO,

YOU KNOW, SWEETIE,

BUT HIS BUSINESS TRIP

GOT EXTENDED.

AREN'T THEY ALWAYS?

ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT, ALL RIGHT.

- I LOVE YOU.

- OH, COLD NEW YORK NIGHTS--

YOU KNOW YOU HAVE

A LOW RESISTANCE, BABY.

THEY'RE CLOSING

THE DOOR. GO.

- BYE, LANCE.

- LOVE YOU.

- I'M GONNA MISS YOU.

- SAY HI TO ANDY WARHOL FOR ME.

GO AHEAD:

GO AND LIGHT UP:

THAT TOWN:

AND, BABY, DO EVERYTHING

YOUR HEART DESIRES

REMEMBER,

I'LL BE AROUND

AND I KNOW:

LIKE I TOLD YOU:

SO MANY TIMES BEFORE

OH, YOU'RE GONNA

COME BACK, BABY

YOU'RE GONNA

COME BACK:

YOU'RE GONNA BE

KNOCK-KNOCKING ON MY DOOR

TIME TIME TIME:

IS ON MY SIDE:

- YES, IT IS....

- Girl:
DAD'S HERE.

- HEY, DAD.

- HEY, DAD, WHAT'S UP?

- HEY. - LOOKING GOOD.

NICE SUIT, MAN.

YOU WEREN'T SUPPOSED

TO BE BACK TILL TOMORROW.

HOW HAVE YOU BEEN?

HEY, JOE NAMATH.

- HEY, PATTY?

- HMM?

YOU KNOW WHAT I WAS THINKING

WHEN I GOT HOME TONIGHT?

WHAT'S THAT, BILL?

WHEN I SAW THOSE KIDS

PLAYING OUT THERE ON THE LAWN,

RUNNING AROUND WITH THE

SUNLIGHT IN THEIR HAIR,

I WAS THINKING:

WE ARE LIKE--

- YOUR HAIRBRUSH.

- MY HAIRBRUSH?

- IT'S CLEAN.

- AND?

- WHO CLEANED IT?

- I CLEANED IT.

YOU'VE NEVER CLEANED YOUR

HAIRBRUSH IN YOUR LIFE.

PATTY, I'VE CLEANED

MY BRUSH BEFORE:

AND I CLEANED I THIS TIME.

WHY?

BECAUSE IT HAD:

DOG HAIR IN IT.

BILL NEVIN'S FOUR-YEAR-OLD

OPENS UP MY SUITCASE

AND BRUSHES HIS GOLDEN

RETRIEVER WITH MY HAIRBRUSH.

- UNBELIEVABLE, RIGHT?

- I AGREE.

SO WHAT I WAS:

TRYING TO SAY WAS

THAT WHEN I WAS OUT THERE

PLAYING FOOTBALL ON THE LAWN,

I WAS THINKING WE'RE LIKE

THE WEST COAST KENNEDYS.

DO YOU MEAN THAT AS

A GOOD THING OR A BAD THING?

IT'S A COMPLIMENT,

PATTY.

I'M SAYING WE'VE GO A FAMILY TO BE PROUD OF HERE.

IT'S INTERESTING

YOU SHOULD MENTION THAT,

BECAUSE I MET A FILMMAKER

WHO'S LOOKING FOR

THE IDEAL FAMILY

TO PUT ON TV.

REALLY?

OF COURSE I TOLD HIM

WE COULDN'T PARTICIPATE,

BEING THAT YOU'RE

AWAY SO MUCH.

HOLD ON A MINUTE.

I'D LIKE TO HEAR

MORE ABOUT THIS.

I CANNOT BELIEVE

THAT YOU KNEW ALICE.

SHE WAS MY SOPHOMORE

ROOMMATE AT STANFORD.

HER BROTHER JIMMY WAS

IN MY HOUSE AT HARVARD.

OH MY,

WHAT A SMALL WORLD.

SO, BILL,

WHERE DID YOU STUDY?

I MATRICULATED A THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS.

YES, BILL WASN' MUCH OF A STUDENT,

BUT HE MAKES MORE MONEY

THAN MOST IVY LEAGUERS.

YOU KNOW WHAT THE SECRET IS?

YOU GOTTA LOVE IT.

IF YOU DON'T LOVE IT,

YOU CAN'T SELL IT.

GOD HELP ME, YOU CAN

LAUGH IF YOU WANT,

BUT I LOVE STRIP MINES AND

I LOVE SELLING SHOVEL TEETH.

IT'S LIKE BROADWAY,

BABY.

MR. GILBERT SAW "HAIR"

ON BROADWAY.

HE SAID IT WAS LIKE

A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME EXPERIENCE.

YEAH, MR. GILBERT KNOWS

MICK JAGGER TOO.

YOUR BOYS HAVE:

PROMISED ME A CONCERT.

WAIT UNTIL YOU MEET LANCE.

HE'S THE COOLEST OF US ALL.

- BUT HE MOVED TO NEW YORK.

- TO MEET ANDY WARHOL.

WELL, WE CAN SHOOT HIM

IN NEW YORK.

BUT HE'S NO IN THE HOUSE,

AND THAT'S WHA THE SHOW IS, RIGHT--

WHAT GOES ON:

IN THE HOUSE?

THE HOUSE, THE SCHOOL, THE SUPERMARKET,

WHEREVER THE FAMILY GOES.

- WHAT ABOUT THE BATHROOM?

- NO NO.

SERIOUSLY,

WHAT IS OFF-LIMITS?

WHY, BILL? YOU HAVE

SOMETHING TO HIDE?

WELL, NO, THAT'S

A FAIR QUESTION--

THE THRESHOLD:

OF PRIVACY.

IT'S SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE

TO DISCUSS AND DECIDE UPON.

WHAT ABOUT PAYMENT?

NO NO. THE PUBLIC

HAS TO BE CERTAIN

THERE'S NO MANIPULATION

GOING ON.

I DON'T KNOW THEN. I STILL

DON'T SEE ANY UPSIDE TO IT.

COME ON, DAD.

IT'LL BE SO MUCH FUN.

WELL, YOU MIGHT,

WHEN YOU SEE JOHNNY HALL

AS THE HEAD OF THE MOS FAMOUS HOUSEHOLD IN AMERICA.

- JOHNNY HALL?

- MM.

WHAT'S SO GREA ABOUT HIS FAMILY?

HIS WIFE HAS GO A MUSTACHE

AND HIS KIDS ARE

PRACTICALLY BRAIN DEAD.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes