It's an interesting coincidence that I saw HOME the day after I watched the amazing documentary STREET FIGHT, as both films are about Newark, New Jersey. STREET FIGHT is about an underdog's attempt to become mayor with a promise to help do something about the lack of affordable housing and HOME is about a family who desperately want to get out of the housing projects in Newark. If possible, try to see both films, as they work well together.
HOME is about a divorced mother of six (Sheree) who works and lives in the projects. Her dream is to move into a nice home in a nice neighborhood and a local social service organization is assisting her to clean up her credit and qualify for the home--and also offer her tons of financial help for free. The social worker (Mary) is extremely active and almost constantly trying to help get Sheree into the home, though there are a lot of things working against them. Some are well outside of Sheree's control while most seem to be the result of Sheree's sense of "learned helplessness"--like she just can't allow herself to succeed or perhaps wants to make herself fail just to "get it out of the way". It seems that Sheree cannot envision success and therefore does much to undermine herself at the same time she's trying to leave her neighborhood. This is a wonderful but rather sad microcosm of the problems of some in the bottom of the socioeconomic system, as for some there are often psychological and emotional barriers that limit success.
In the end, the agency is forced to give the home to another needy family--and you see them crying as they move into their fully decorated new home. Truly a bittersweet ending seeing this one happy family and Sheree's family even worse off when all is said and done.
It's a well made and very involving documentary that leaves you thinking. I liked how it didn't try to answer all the questions the movie raised. Because of this, it would be a great film to show students to stir up a marvelous discussion on many of the topics brought up in it.
HOME is about a divorced mother of six (Sheree) who works and lives in the projects. Her dream is to move into a nice home in a nice neighborhood and a local social service organization is assisting her to clean up her credit and qualify for the home--and also offer her tons of financial help for free. The social worker (Mary) is extremely active and almost constantly trying to help get Sheree into the home, though there are a lot of things working against them. Some are well outside of Sheree's control while most seem to be the result of Sheree's sense of "learned helplessness"--like she just can't allow herself to succeed or perhaps wants to make herself fail just to "get it out of the way". It seems that Sheree cannot envision success and therefore does much to undermine herself at the same time she's trying to leave her neighborhood. This is a wonderful but rather sad microcosm of the problems of some in the bottom of the socioeconomic system, as for some there are often psychological and emotional barriers that limit success.
In the end, the agency is forced to give the home to another needy family--and you see them crying as they move into their fully decorated new home. Truly a bittersweet ending seeing this one happy family and Sheree's family even worse off when all is said and done.
It's a well made and very involving documentary that leaves you thinking. I liked how it didn't try to answer all the questions the movie raised. Because of this, it would be a great film to show students to stir up a marvelous discussion on many of the topics brought up in it.