Vernon, Florida (1981)

A documentary on the eccentric residents of Vernon, Florida.

Director:

Errol Morris

Stars:

Albert Bitterling, Roscoe Collins, George Harris

Cast

Credited cast:
Albert Bitterling	...	Himself
Roscoe Collins	...	Himself
George Harris	...	Himself
Joe Payne	...	Himself
Howard Pettis	...	Himself
Claude Register	...	Himself
Snake Reynolds	...	Himself
Henry Shipes	...	Himself

Storyline

Early Errol Morris documentary intersplices random chatter he captured on film of the genuinely eccentric residents of Vernon, Florida. A few examples? The preacher giving a sermon on the definition of the word "Therefore," and the obsessive turkey hunter who speaks reverentially of the "gobblers" he likes to track down and kill.

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Plot Keywords:

north florida | hunter | preacher | florida | eccentric | 

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Genres:

Documentary | Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

USA West Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

8 October 1981 (USA)

Also Known As:

Вернон, штат Флорида

Filming Locations:

Vernon, Florida, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Errol Morris Films, WNET Channel 13 New York, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

55 min

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Originally titled Nub City, this follow-up to Gates of Heaven was initially focused on residents of the Southern town who cut off their own limbs as a way to collect insurance money. After Morris's life was threatened by the subjects of the film, he re-worked Nub City into Vernon, Florida.

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Quotes

Claude Register: You ever seen a man's brains? I've seen them. I've picked them up, scooped them up. Put them in, do them up like brains. You buying brains?

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Connections

Featured in A Brief History of Errol Morris (2000)

User Reviews

One of the best documentaries I've ever seen

Vernon, Florida consists entirely of the stories and opinions of the residents of a sleepy little southern town, without narration or comments from the filmmakers. Many of the residents are eccentric, and some, perhaps, are a bit nervous to be in front of the camera. But the filmmakers wisely chose to allow the residents to say whatever they felt was important, so that the end result, though sometimes comical, is actually quite respectful and dignified. The editing is fabulous-- no abrupt starts or stops, nothing boring, and nothing that appears to be taken out of context.

Vernon, Florida is hard to find, so if you see a copy, by all means check it out.

This is the way documentaries should be made!