Heavenly Realism

Errol Morris is known for turning the mundane into the sublime. In his first documentary, Gates of Heaven, he chronicles the ludicrously vicious battle between two competing pet cemetery owners. By exclusively using interviews with the strange folks involved instead of narration, Morris creates a touching reality so real that...

By John Freeman

May 1, 2008

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Errol Morris is known for turning the mundane into the sublime. In his first documentary, Gates of Heaven, he chronicles the ludicrously vicious battle between two competing pet cemetery owners. By exclusively using interviews with the strange folks involved instead of narration, Morris creates a touching reality so real that it seems unreal. Gates of Heaven laid the framework for his later films like Vernon, Florida and The Thin Blue Line, which actually helped free a man from prison. Morris proves that film can be more than just entertainment. Check out Gates of Heaven Thursday at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St., as the last installment of Modern Cinema: Ground Breaking Documentaries from the Seventies. The film follows a lecture at 6 p.m. Visit themodern.org/films for info.
Thu., May 8, 6 p.m., 2008

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