Dear Zachary - A Letter to a Son About His Father

[AShannon04]

Has anyone seen Dear Zachary? I first heard about it a month or so ago when the guys on the Slashfilm podcast were saying how much they loved it, and I've been looking forward to checking it out.

Basically it's about a guy who makes a film in memory of his friend for his newborn son. Apparently the film takes some really unexpected turns, but I'm trying to avoid hearing about it until I finally see it, which kept me from looking up a more comprehensive summary.

It's been making the rounds at a ton of film festivals, and is showing on MSNBC on December 7th at 9pm.

http://www.dearzachary.com/

EDIT: DO NOT RESEARCH THE MOVIE ONLINE IF YOU WANT TO AVOID MAJOR SPOILERS

[IAPAI]

yeah, it sounded boring when i first read it, but after I saw the trailer this movie looks UNREAL..

[Bob Payne]

I saw the trailer, and I was like, "wow, this looks really touching," and then I googled the guy, to find out about the case, and then I found out something I definitely did not want to know.

[OldJersey]

This looks reallllll interesting.

[AShannon04]

I saw the trailer, and I was like, "wow, this looks really touching," and then I googled the guy, to find out about the case, and then I found out something I definitely did not want to know.

yeah, the guys on the podcast were telling people that they should come into the movie with as little prior knowledge as possible.

[JesusV2]

I really want to see this

[fantasma]

good to see other slashfilmcast fans!

[AShannon04]

good to see other slashfilmcast fans!

haha, so good.

[tait]

whoa it looks really good

edit: i shouldn't have read the full case. damn

[cantnokdahustle]

Anyone notice the Carson Ellis work on the poster?

[AShannon04]

About half an hour to go

[AShannon04]

Holy shit, this movie was incredible. Heart wrenching.

[kemichels]

I really don't have many words for this movie, but when it hit that spot, my jaw dropped for about 10 minutes straight. Tears of both sadness and rage filled my eyes and I cannot explain the feeling in my chest that I got. I have never, ever felt as mad or upset about something like that ...probably ever, in my life. And I'm dead serious.

[kemichels]

everyone should see this.

[make_this_hurt]

I'm DVRing the midnight replay.

[mattybobviously]

Incredible.

[AShannon04]

Movie is getting rebroadcasted tonight at midnight and 3am, and next Sunday, 12/14 at 4pm.

[TSLROCKS]

Movie is getting rebroadcasted tonight at midnight and 3am, and next Sunday, 12/14 at 4pm.

Awesome. I'll try and catch the 3 am showing

[IAmNietzche]

Watching in 5 min. Very excited.

[make_this_hurt]

Wow.

What a heartbreakingly wonderful movie.

[JesusV2]

Fuck this needs to come online quick

[IamTheINDUSTRY]

I really don't have many words for this movie, but when it hit that spot, my jaw dropped for about 10 minutes straight. Tears of both sadness and rage filled my eyes and I cannot explain the feeling in my chest that I got. I have never, ever felt as mad or upset about something like that ...probably ever, in my life. And I'm dead serious.

hahaha yeah - i saw it in the theater and i did a WTF face for about two or three minutes and then was outraged the rest of the time. i should have made a thread when i saw it, but figured it was on such a small scale that it would not be viewed by anyone on this site - little did i know a month later it would be on msnbc.

[IAmNietzche]

Wow.

What a heartbreakingly wonderful movie.
Haha there was absolutely nothing wonderful about that movie. It's hard for me to critique the film since it was so emotionally shattering, but it wasn't technically very good. The director used too many cheap camera effects and cuts to heighten the emotion in his message when the story itself had more than enough. Having said that, it was directed competently and extremely personally by a man who really took off his director's hat and simply made a film for his best friend. Some of the most emotional moments of the film are when you can hear his voice breaking as he struggles to narrate parts of the film.

[Recovery Room]

Haha there was absolutely nothing wonderful about that movie. It's hard for me to critique the film since it was so emotionally shattering, but it wasn't technically very good. The director used too many cheap camera effects and cuts to heighten the emotion in his message when the story itself had more than enough. Having said that, it was directed competently and extremely personally by a man who really took off his director's hat and simply made a film for his best friend. Some of the most emotional moments of the film are when you can hear his voice breaking as he struggles to narrate parts of the film.
Agree with every single word of this.

[SkyHeldUpByStar]

Just saw this movie today. Wow....I would say to anyone who has not yet seen this or read about the story to heed the previous warnings provided earlier in this thread about not reading up on the case. I stayed away from that and chose to go into it as blind as possible. The movie made me angry as hell when I got to the "moment." Good god. I would agree with IAmNietzche about the technical issues though. There were certain cuts and effects that bothered me but overall I enjoyed the film a great deal. Definitely broke my heart.

[Adrian Villagomez]

Ah, gotta watch this. The trailer is interesting.

[TJ Wells]

My God. Just watched this. After the second "bomb" (anyone who has seen this knows EXACTLY what i'm talking about), I think I just completely broke down. Was not prepared for that at all. Heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking.

[nhoium]

My God. Just watched this. After the second "bomb" (anyone who has seen this knows EXACTLY what i'm talking about), I think I just completely broke down. Was not prepared for that at all. Heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking.
Where did you watch this at? I've been looking for a while now.

[TJ Wells]

I recorded it back when it aired on MSNBC but totally forgot about it until now. It's out on DVD 2/24, though.

[Recovery Room]

My God. Just watched this. After the second "bomb" (anyone who has seen this knows EXACTLY what i'm talking about), I think I just completely broke down. Was not prepared for that at all. Heartbreaking. Absolutely heartbreaking.
Pretty much.

[popdisaster00]

I just watched the trailer, these "moments" you guys are talking about aren't discussed in the trailer right?

[popdisaster00]

And can anyone tell me how I might be able to watch this right now..? Haha

[SkyHeldUpByStar]

I just watched the trailer, these "moments" you guys are talking about aren't discussed in the trailer right?
No, they keep it out of the trailer so you should be straight. As for where you can find it, I'm not sure...

[CubbyNick42]

Kate and David Bagby have to be two of the most remarkable people on earth.

[xhellalujahx]

One of the best documentaries I've ever seen.

[Prestonxsmith]

Should I order this? Its out on dvd and this sounds really interesting, but I want to know if it is worth it.

[IamTheINDUSTRY]

Should I order this? Its out on dvd and this sounds really interesting, but I want to know if it is worth it.

yes.

[Tyler Dumont]

My girlfriend and I just rented it on iTunes... Probably shouldn't have watched it on Xmas, but damn.

More people need to see this.

[CubbyNick42]

My girlfriend and I just rented it on iTunes... Probably shouldn't have watched it on Xmas, but damn.

More people need to see this.
Haha yeah, felt the same after watching it last night.

[Prestonxsmith]

I think I just cried for a pretty good couple of minutes there. Great film. Astounding.

[Gaugzilla]

Absolutely stunning film. Thank you to whoever made this topic.

[as_we_learn]

I just saw this, I can't believe how great this film was. Made me cry, tragic story.

[popdisaster00]

Haha there was absolutely nothing wonderful about that movie. It's hard for me to critique the film since it was so emotionally shattering, but it wasn't technically very good. The director used too many cheap camera effects and cuts to heighten the emotion in his message when the story itself had more than enough. Having said that, it was directed competently and extremely personally by a man who really took off his director's hat and simply made a film for his best friend. Some of the most emotional moments of the film are when you can hear his voice breaking as he struggles to narrate parts of the film.
Just watched this last night and I'm gonna agree with just about everything here.

Extremely sad, I'm talking tears pouring down my face which NEVER happens to me. But definitely a good movie, something everyone should see.

[popdisaster00]

Kate and David Bagby have to be two of the most remarkable people on earth.
Agreed. I cannot believe they actually lived next to, spoke with, interacted with, etc the woman who murdered their son on a daily basis. How extremely difficult would that be?

[CubbyNick42]

Agreed. I cannot believe they actually lived next to, spoke with, interacted with, etc the woman who murdered their son on a daily basis. How extremely difficult would that be?
Exactly. Just remarkable.

[Back_in_Anger]

Finally got around to watching this last night. I've been avoiding it because I knew it would just wreck me. Jesus, it was so intense. Just an insane story.
I was thinking about Shirley. Do you think she was keenly manipulative or just bat shit crazy? I think she was 50/50. I mean, she was crazy enough to not even cover her tracks. She didn't think about the cell towers, the voice messages she left or the gun and bullets she used. Obviously, it's hard to call someone who does what she did sane. But she seemed to manipulate people really well, especially during the custody battle. I mean, she asked the grandparents to put up a picture of her and Andrew and she somehow got the grandparents to share custody.

[ikikwe]

Just watched this. What an incredible movie.

[Asadcow]

Just watched this and am in tears. If I grow up to have half the strength that Dave and Kate do I will be a lucky man.

[flask]

I've never cried at the end of a movie like I did with this one. Fucking hell...

[thesollopsist]

This was so depressing.

[Fourchordwonder]

On my Instant queue right now. I would say I'm excited to watch it, but I think excited is the wrong word based on these responses.

[sjb2k1]

i watched this last night and good god, i wish evil like that didn't exist

[ldubcirca1986]

I watched this and it was really such a horrible story. I can't believe that the woman was given custody of her baby after she murdered his father. They thought that since the crime was so specific that she wasn't a danger to society. That is ridiculous. Aren't a lot of murders specific? She still was insane enough to take someone's life, just because he didn't want her anymore. It's sad really. But it also shows the loop holes in government, and the stupidity in elected officials. Very sad story.

[Gaugzilla]

I watched this and it was really such a horrible story. I can't believe that the woman was given custody of her baby after she murdered his father. They thought that since the crime was so specific that she wasn't a danger to society. That is ridiculous. Aren't a lot of murders specific? She still was insane enough to take someone's life, just because he didn't want her anymore. It's sad really. But it also shows the loop holes in government, and the stupidity in elected officials. Very sad story.
Hey - You might want to add a spoiler tag to that.

[Thomas Balkcom]

movie is over two years old.

[Asadcow]

I think the person that pissed me off the most (besides Shirley) was Judge Welch Letting her go a second time is just inexscusable. And the way the narrator describes it is just sickening. Who in their right mind would let that woman walk free while claiming their are no psychological issues with her?

[Gaugzilla]

movie is over two years old.
And.....

[sjb2k1]

the big bomb drop, which all of you who have seen this know what i mean, is really the thing that should be spoiler tagged here. yes it's over two years old but i'd be willing to bet most people have never even heard of this.

[softcoeur]

i've never been hit so hard by a film. everyone needs to see this, but it comes with an emotional warning.

[Asadcow]

I knew about the story before the bomb hit, When it first showed the baby I got this terrible feeling in my stomach, children in peril is one thing I really can't stand, it lasted the whole movie

[Thomas Balkcom]

And.....

and you're upset about a spoiler being posted in here?

[Gaugzilla]

and you're upset about a spoiler being posted in here?
Because it's not like it's a well-known movie like "The Sixth Sense" or "Inception," it hasn't been widely available until people started seeing pop up on Netflix stream. There's no statute of limitations on spoilers from what I recall and to have one person spoil it because they can't use simple tags is stupid.

[L'Inhumaine]

Because it's not like it's a well-known movie like "The Sixth Sense" or "Inception," it hasn't been widely available until people started seeing pop up on Netflix stream. There's no statute of limitations on spoilers from what I recall and to have one person spoil it because they can't use simple tags is stupid.
The spoiler SOL for movies is one year.

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/03/06/spoiler-statute-of-limitations/

Your point about it not being widely available until it showed up on Netflix is also erroneous as it aired on back-to-back nights on MSNBC back in '08.

[Gaugzilla]

The spoiler SOL for movies is one year.

http://whatever.scalzi.com/2009/03/06/spoiler-statute-of-limitations/

Your point about it not being widely available until it showed up on Netflix is also erroneous as it aired on back-to-back nights on MSNBC back in '08.
I'm not going to get all up in arms about it. But it's a documentary that hinges on a surprising twist. I'd venture to say not a whole lot of people have seen it and might be drawn to it by seeing the response it's getting on this thread. That's how I found out about it and loved it. If some jackwagon that's too lazy to post spoiler tags ruined the ending prior, it would have lessened the effect of the film.

Posting some dude's blog on his thought won't change my mind any more than posting an EW link on why I should like Pink. And it airing on MSNBC (?) in 08 shouldn't mean people missed the boat, especially considering probably about 5% of the people on here watch that channel.

[Asadcow]

I agree, it may technically be allowed to post the spoiler, but this is a special circumstance.

[pleasedontask]

holy shit. just finished it. emotionally wrecked.

and agree on the spoilers thing, I dont think its such a big deal to ask for people to cover up spoilers for a movie that you get so emotionally invested in and that relies on the twists and turns of the story.

[classys]

This just blew my mind

[QuikTrig]

lol yep

[Thriftstoresuit]

This was on MSNBC today. It still continues to leave me wrecked.

[allelish]

Fucking hell. I am on the ropes.

[popdisaster00]

Heavy shit, man.

[Polaris]

jesus. just finished this. holy shit.

[Lueda Alia]

So heartbreaking.

[Eight30Ninety]

I watched this right before bed 2 nights ago. That was not my smartest decision.

[pennie]

Only ever been able to watch this movie once. Absolutely broke my heart when I watched it.

[Polaris]

I will never be able to watch this again. It's just too sad. I have told many of my friends to watch it though. I think everyone needs to see it once.