88 Days In The Mother Lode: Mark Twain Finds His Voice is the newest documentary from This n' That Films and it is also their best to date. What I appreciate most about this film is how well it strikes a balance between mainstream documentary and academic study. This blend of scholarship and entertainment works perfectly well for telling the story of Samuel Clemens' transition into the character of Mark Twain, and the details of that evolution are presented with due consideration and with no sacrifice to entertainment value. Smart editing and gorgeous cinematography kept me engaged throughout the film. So often Biography docs gloss over the stuff that I really want to know about. It's those details that help me better step inside the shoes of the subject, and get a better feeling for them as a whole. I wish more documentaries took this more detailed approach.
5 Reviews
A well-told story of a critical time in Mark Twain's life
schmidtbrb2 February 2015
From my review for the Mark Twain Forum: In early December 1864 Sam Clemens and his roommate Steve Gillis left San Francisco one step ahead of the law. Gillis had gotten into a bar room brawl, injured a man whose life was teetering in the balance, and been jailed and bailed out by Clemens who didn't have the funds to cover the bail if Gillis skipped town. Gillis headed to Virginia City, and Clemens headed to Jackass Hill in Tuolumne County to lay low for a few months with Gillis's brothers, Jim and Billy, and their mining partner Dick Stoker. Clemens would not return to San Francisco until February 26, 1865. However, Mark Twain scholars agree that what happened to Clemens during those eighty-eight days turned out to be a motherlode of inspiration and stimulus to his future career as a writer.
The documentary examines the events leading up to this time period, what happened at Jackass Hill and nearby Angels Camp, and the outcome. John C. Brown and Bert Simonis are new names in the field of Mark Twain scholarship. Their respective lists of previous productions are short in comparison to other documentary film makers who have attempted to tell the story of the enigmatic life of Samuel Clemens. Brown and Simonis have scored a commendable success in this initial foray into Twain biography.
The documentary examines the events leading up to this time period, what happened at Jackass Hill and nearby Angels Camp, and the outcome. John C. Brown and Bert Simonis are new names in the field of Mark Twain scholarship. Their respective lists of previous productions are short in comparison to other documentary film makers who have attempted to tell the story of the enigmatic life of Samuel Clemens. Brown and Simonis have scored a commendable success in this initial foray into Twain biography.
Great film, I learned so much.
jackiemauzy3 February 2015
Not only was I entertained by this film, I also found it educational. The producers have done a great of making Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain)come to life through his own words. From letters home, stories published in newspapers and his books, Mark Twain's stay in California's Gold Country comes to life. Using actors to portray his everyday life in the cabin and especially in the hotel during a non- ending rain storm gives a new dimension to this film. I also appreciate the beautiful scenery and it was great to learn that all the scenes were filmed at the actual locations that they took place. It makes we want to travel to Jackass Hill and Angels Camp! Interviews with experts in the Mark Twain field of study round out the film. Entertaining and educational, highly recommended.
An excellent film about Samuel Clemens
bhobill2115 February 2015
88 Days is a well-made educational documentary which chronicles the period of Samuel Clemens' life that he spent in the West. It focuses on the three months he lived in the California mountains and how they influenced his later career as Mark Twain. His experiences in Nevada and San Francisco before and after are also accurately and thoroughly presented. The story is told by combining excerpts from Clemens' writings with narrative by present day historians. It describes how his storytelling career progressed from newspaper reporting to stand-up lecturing over the course of his experiences in the West.
This is a very informational and interesting film which provides much insight into Mark Twain's life that is not widely known. I enjoyed watching it and highly recommend it to everyone desiring to learn more about Mark Twain.
This is a very informational and interesting film which provides much insight into Mark Twain's life that is not widely known. I enjoyed watching it and highly recommend it to everyone desiring to learn more about Mark Twain.
88 days in the Mother Lode: Mark Twain Finds His Voice
ljgunderson5 February 2015
Warning: Spoilers
It only seems fitting that the definition of Twain is two. This film is a delightful and informative journey into how Samuel Clemens headed west and discovered his other self, Mark Twain. 88 days seems to fill in the gap of Clemens adventures through dabbling in many occupations and eventually stumbling upon the pen. He slowly but ultimately found his calling. For that we are grateful.
The film sheds light on how Clemens's life could have wound up many different ways. A soldier, an unemployed riverboat pilot, failed prospector, a novice newspaper reporter but through circumstance and coincidence he ultimately became the great writer and performer we know as Mark Twain and he did so because of specific experiences. 88 Days walks us through a time frame that shed's new light on this crucial but largely unexamined period of Samuel Clemens life.
Twain had heard a story in a tavern and wanted wanted to reproduce it in prose though an unexpected quality – humor. "Jim Smiley" represented more than just a clever tale. It also marked the transition of Twain discovering the literary power of the frontier. It was a stepping stone in building his distinctive style of irony and slang that would later shape many masterpieces. Twain had wanted to do more than just make people laugh. He succeeded. Twain made that frog "jump around the world".
-lj GUNDERSON
The film sheds light on how Clemens's life could have wound up many different ways. A soldier, an unemployed riverboat pilot, failed prospector, a novice newspaper reporter but through circumstance and coincidence he ultimately became the great writer and performer we know as Mark Twain and he did so because of specific experiences. 88 Days walks us through a time frame that shed's new light on this crucial but largely unexamined period of Samuel Clemens life.
Twain had heard a story in a tavern and wanted wanted to reproduce it in prose though an unexpected quality – humor. "Jim Smiley" represented more than just a clever tale. It also marked the transition of Twain discovering the literary power of the frontier. It was a stepping stone in building his distinctive style of irony and slang that would later shape many masterpieces. Twain had wanted to do more than just make people laugh. He succeeded. Twain made that frog "jump around the world".
-lj GUNDERSON
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