The documentary Edith + Eddie is a story of the oldest interracial couple fighting to stay together in a rush of family drama. This documentary has a theme of the rights of the elderly, the influence of racial issues, and the power of love.
Yes, the film, at its core, is a love story between a couple desperate to stay together despite a family feud. The themes of inter-racialism and ageism are applied light enough to get the true message of love across. The camera often focuses on moments and icons that enforce those themes, and there is usually a lack of music to allow you to focus better on the conversations. However, I was concerned that there was a lack of information regarding the feud of the family. There was a mention of one daughter involved, but the other two are flat out not included at all. Whether they refused to have a speaking role, or weren't invited to star at all, may never be known. I understand that the feud has lasted for years, and that there's too much information to fit into twenty-nine minutes, but a mention of the true story at least would have made it better.
Another problem I have with this documentary is how it villainizes certain characters, particularly the ones responsible for driving apart the couple. The characters are presented in a black and white situation, but life is rarely like this. No. This is a situation shaded with different greys. Whoever had the best solution for Edith and Eddie's issue might remain undecided forever. The question is who is to blame? This ties back with the feud of the family. Everyone had his or her own mindset on how to deal with the problem, and this had devastating results that drove the family apart. This is never mentioned, and I have to criticise this documentary for its lack of truth.
This was still a good documentary, though. Beautifully moving, and brilliantly presented. The inclusion of many symbols of racial issues, along with the message of how we treat the older people in our society, makes this documentary incredibly powerful. Older viewers are more likely to enjoy this as, coming from experience, younger audiences will find legal battles boring. With all that in mind, this still is a sweet and tragic documentary. It has a brilliant representation about the injustice on the elders in our world, but a little more information about the family's situation would be nice.
Review of Edith+Eddie
