Moving Past the “Good Old Days”: A Documentary Double Feature
Some Kind of Heaven is currently available to watch at FACETS Virtual Cinema until February 4. For an interesting double feature, we suggest Jasper Mall, the new documentary about a slowly dying mall in the small town of Jasper, Alabama.
Some Kind of Heaven
Directed by Lance Oppenheim
Director Lance Oppenheim’s debut feature Some Kind of Heaven explores life inside America’s largest retirement community, The Villages. Known as the “Disneyland for Retirees,” this planned colony is home to over 130,000 mostly white seniors, who are provided with every medical convenience and a utopian vision of the American yesteryear: safe streets, manicured lawns, and countless activities—including canasta games and singles mixers—all in the service of enjoying their golden years.
While most of the residents have bought into this fantasy life, this film follows four residents living on the fringes of The Villages, who have become disillusioned with the paradise being sold to them. Four residents who haven’t experienced the utopia that everyone else enjoys.
Through exploring this strange and manufactured way of life and the colorful characters who choose to live it, Some Kind of Heaven addresses the stereotypes of aging while ultimately encouraging all who watch to live as vibrantly as possible in the time they have left. Lance Oppenheim, at just 24 years old, directs this film with an empathy and a nuance far beyond his years, showing that no matter our age, we all live through the same challenges and can find solidarity even in the strangest of places.
Produced by Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky and shot by cinematographer David Bolen, Some Kind of Heaven‘s 4×3 aspect ratio and lurid colors evoke feelings of the classic films the residents of The Villages no doubt grew up seeing in the theaters.
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Jasper Mall
Directed by Brett Whitcomb and Bradford Thomason
When Brett Whitcomb and Bradford Thomason set out to make a film about the Jasper Mall, they wanted to take a “peek behind the curtain” of some of their childhood nostalgia. This mall, located in Jasper, Alabama was the perfect subject for this exploration into a shared past that we are all nostalgic for in some way.
The directors described Jasper Mall as “reminiscent of the malls of our youth” with “its untouched ’80s aesthetic” and it’s cast of colorful regulars within its walls (Alabama). This feeling of nostalgia that the directors wanted to explore was shared by the inhabitants of the mall, as well.
We see storeowners page through old photos of the mall from over 30 years ago, when the parking lot was packed and exciting events were always happening. The elderly mall walkers who have been regulars since their youth show up every morning and walk the halls of the Jasper Mall with their friends, reminiscing. Even the main character of the film Mike McClelland, the mall’s superintendent, housekeeper, and mall cop, takes some time to revel in nostalgia. Not so much the nostalgia of the good old days of the mall, but more so to reflect on his life, his previous job as a zookeeper, how he came into the position he is now, his wife, and so on.
The film is slow and reflective–for every intimate scene between modern mall-goers, we are treated to an extended sequence of Jasper Mall in its heyday. Accompanied with jazzy, easy listening, mall-type music, the lingering shots of empty storefronts, neon lights, fountains, and plants, paint a somewhat claustrophobic but still beautiful picture of a place that represents a nostalgia for us all.
Some Kind of Heaven and Jasper Mall are not only interesting looks at location, but in-depth character studies as well. While the subjects remain isolated from reality in many ways, their dedication to making the most of of their physical space and time left on earth is something for everyone to find hope in. When viewed together, both films reveal in profound detail how our surroundings influence us and the ways in which we influence our surroundings.
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You can watch Some Kind of Heaven until February 4 through FACETS Virtual Cinema here.
Tyler Meder is an Editorial Assistant Intern at FACETS. He received his B.A. in Communication, Film, and New Media from Carthage College after completing his thesis on shot on video horror films. He has contributed work in video and writing to multiple industries including live theatre, which earned him an honors in Animation and Video Production from the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
