Report Card---"Obit".

"Obit" is a very well-crafted, very informative, extremely interesting, very involving documentary
about the Obituary Department at the New York Times.
I told you we were not done with death.
But there's nothing depressing about "Obit". like that last movie I reported on.
It's more about a celebration of lives rather than how long people lived.
It concentrates on a handful of lives who most of us didn't know, but were worth full length
New York Times obituaries.
Case in point: William P. Wilson, the guy responsible for Richard Nixon's make-up in that now infamous first 1960 debate with John F. Kennedy, which probably cost Nixon the election.
His widow had a story to tell, and told it fascinatingly.

On to the scoring:   

Is it interesting?

Constantly
A+

Compelling even?

Kind of.  The 4 or 5 staff obituary writers at the Times are all great storytellers.
And have wonderful stories to tell.
A+.

Is it a story worth telling?

Certainly.
A+

Is it good storytelling?

Great storytelling.
A+

Is it well written?

It doesn't seem written and here, that's not a bad thing.
A.

Is it well cast? Well played?

I wanted to know all of these staff members better.
A+.

Well shot?

Extremely
A+.

Did the director put such a personal stamp on it so that no one else could have made it?

Somewhat.
A.

How long does it take to establish the film's locale and time period?

Immediately.  The New York Times offices, and some location shooting.
A+.

Is it too long? Too short?

It runs an hour and forty minutes.  Could have gone on a lot longer, and I'd have been fine with it.
A+.

Is it believable? Do you care about the characters?.

Yes, and totally.
A+.

Is it predictable?

They take you through the entire process of editorial choices that are made to determine who gets a full obituary, and more important, how many words each entry is worthy of.  I was aware of none of this.
A+.

Do you think about it after you've seen it?

I will probably get a full obit, and it makes me curious as to how many words will be devoted to me.
Unless things change drastically, the lead is "Mark Rothman, best known as the co-creator of "Laverne & Shirley".  I guess there are worse things, but I had higher hopes.
A.

Is it funny?

Often.
A.

Would it have been worth the thirteen bucks it would have cost to see it in the movies?

It's on Amazon Prime.  Otherwise, easily.
A.

Is it impressive?

Totally
A+.

Overall grade: A+.

Everyone should see this.  Whether you are obituary-worthy or not.

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My books, "Show Runner" and it's sequel, "Show Runner Two", can be found at the Amazon Kindle Store.
Along with the newer ones, "The Man Is Dead", and "Report Cards".
They are all compilations of blog entries that have since been removed from the blog.
So this is the only way you can find them.,
You can search by typing in my name, Cindy Williams, Laverne and Shirley, The Odd Couple, or Happy Days.
Check them out.
You don't need a Kindle machine to download them.
Just get the free app from Kindle, and they can be downloaded to an IPhone, IPad, or Blackberry.
The paperbacks, "Mark Rothman's Essays" and my new novel, "I'm Not Garbo" are not e-books.
But they are available for people without Kindle.
I have many readings and signings lined up for those, and the thing about Kindle is you can't sign one.
If you'd like one of the paperbacks, personally autographed, contact me at macchus999@comcast.net
And now, we've got my reading of my "Laverne and Shirley Movie" screenplay on YouTube.

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