Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father
(2008) is a moving documentary that filmmaker Kurt Kuenne made after his friend Andrew Bagby was murdered. More than anything, the film is a tribute to his friend.
Dear Zachary explores how one person may touch many others and how one tragedy connects to loved ones. The film does address the solving of the crime. But the movie is not a prolonged mystery, although it does follow the quest for some sense of justice.
Much of the drama of the film, though, comes from attempts to return the alleged perpetrator to the United States from Canada. And then, there is a twist. Bagby’s friends and family learn that he left behind a son, who is the Zachary in the title.
The film then becomes an attempt to tell the son about the father he will never know. Much of the movie focuses on Bagby’s parents. It recounts how they have dealt with losing their only child. Their agony is genuine throughout the movie, as they face additional hurdles and heartbreak.
My one criticism of the movie is that it over-simplifies the legal issues involved in the attempts to extradite the alleged perpetrator. The movie makes an argument that Canada needs to reform its bail system. And it argues for an automatic rule that might not work in all cases.
While it is true that the system did not work in this case, the failures may have been more from the actors in the system than the system itself. It was fairly clear that the woman who killed Bagby was mentally ill. And the movie only briefly notes her psychiatrist’s misconduct that led to her release. Thus, the movie ignores part of the problem with the system. It also avoids the question of whether putting more potentially innocent people in jail is the solution.
Along these lines, the movie may attempt too much by tacking on a political statement that the filmmaker is not willing to fully explore. But it is an understandable oversight in light of the personal story.
The movie’s appearance and lighting reveal that the film is not an expensive Hollywood vehicle. But it is compelling and a good story.
Although the movie goes in some different directions, those directions are driven by the narrative of real events. The film is a very good documentary about the tragedies that befall when individuals die too soon. And it reminds us of the love that can live on after their deaths.
{Missed Movies is our continuing series on good films you might have missed because they did not receive the recognition they deserved when released.}
If you have already seen Dear Zachary, head over to the movie’s website for an update. If you have not yet seen the movie, wait until after you see it before checking out the update, which contains spoilers.
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