John Peterson shows off some cabbage.
(Credit: Cavu Pictures)
- Running time:
- 82 minutes
- Director:
- Taggart Siegel
- Genre:
- Documentary
- Official Movie Web Site:
- http://www.therealdirt.net/
- Movie Trailer:
- View Trailer
- Overall User Rating:
-
(0 ratings)
Big question: Just what makes this guy interesting enough to carry a movie?
Catch it: Peterson’s quirky persona will appeal to fans of the oddball doc sub-genre (think: “Crumb,” the recent “Crazy Love”) and the less you know about his story the better. The film unfolds more or less chronologically and it contains all the unexpected twists and turns of ordinary life.
Skip it: Although upfront about Peterson’s triumphs and setbacks, the film rarely feels more than surface-deep. Interviews with relatives and neighbors flesh out the portrait a little bit, but much of his story feels glossed over.
Bottom line: “Farmer John’s” portrait of a one-of-a-kind American makes for a modest but likable way to spend 82 minutes.
Bonus: Peterson’s octogenarian mother steals all of her scenes with charm and wit. When John teases her about not liking Doors’ singer Jim Morrison’s wardrobe choices she muses, “You can’t judge people by the way they dress. After you get to know them it doesn’t matter.”
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