Review: HBO's Cinema Verite, living 'Loud,' the dawn of TV Narcissism

By April MacIntyre Apr 23, 2011, 5:52 GMT

HBO’s film “Cinema Verite” brings the real-life story of the 1973 series that was a ratings bonanza for PBS (10 million tuned in) and shellshocked the subjects, the Loud family, who felt they were misrepresented and made a grotesquerie for a manipulative producer\'s end game.

In the early 1970's, PBS (through WNET) brought a Santa Barbara family to everyone's home across the USA.

Unheard of, as the family life we watched religiously was Norman Lear's "All in the Family," starring America's curmudgeon, Archie Bunker (Carroll O'Connor).  Bunker's frustrations with a changing society and his crowded family life were water cooler fare for the nation.

HBO’s film “Cinema Verite” brings the real-life story of the 1973 series that was a ratings bonanza for PBS (10 million tuned in) and shellshocked the subjects, the Loud family, who felt they were misrepresented and made a grotesquerie for a manipulative producer's end game.

Documentary filmmaker Craig Gilbert (James Gandolfini) is moved by the recounting of daily life in Margaret Mead's Coming of Age in Samoa. He wished to recreate this expose of sorts with an American family and searches for the perfect one.

Through a serendipitous moment where he spots a Christmas picture card from a friend, Gilbert finds Pat Loud (Diane Lane) an affluent mother of five mostly grown children, married to salesman Bill (Tim Robbins) for 22 years.

Gilbert winds up selling Pat on his grand notion for a film through flattery and guile.

The guerrilla camera crew are embedded with America's first family who allow daily life to be seen, unfiltered. It goes very badly.

Pat's deep suspicions of Bill's cheating are exposed, confirmed and ultimately the ammunition she needs to force Bill out of the home. The HBO film alludes that Gilbert may have had some sort of relationship with Pat, as they commiserated over shared feelings of being scorned for another lover.

Also skewered by the reality TV editing and commentary is oldest son Lance’s (Thomas Dekker) life as a homosexual, made to be more than what it was, as his family supported and loved him very much. He died at age 50 from HIV, his family by his side, and his dying wish was to have his estranged parents reunite. This happens, according to the end liner notes.

Gandolfini, Lane, Robbins and Dekker are all admirable in their respective roles. A note of praise to the excellence in costuming, hair, makeup and the art department, as the look of each actor, wardrobes, cars, home furnishings, paint, decor and interior and exterior sets are pitch perfect.

"Verite" shows the nascent stages of America's love affair with the Andy Warhol "15 minutes of fame" prediction.

It was a time certainly before the Internet; before narcissistic social media, Flip video, YouTube, smartphones, blogs, incessant branding and viral anything. No one shopped at work.

Privacy was taken for granted, and who would have imagined that a concept like reality TV would exist for any reason. Television was solely scripted drama, news, variety shows, chat shows and educational fare.

HBO Saturday April 23 at 9 PM