So I just got done watching another wonderful documentary hosted by Stephen Fry cleverly titled Stephen Fry in America. This is the second documentary that I have seen Stephen Fry in. The first one Last Chance to See was much like this one; it was a travel documentary, it consisted of six episodes and he inevitably gets injured. I guess one could say he really gets into his work. Some of you may by now be wondering who the hell this guy is? He is a British comedian, he was the Cheshire Cat in the Tim Burton Alice in Wonderland, he was narrator for the first four Harry Potter flicks, and Little Big Planet 1 & 2 and Fable 3. These are just a few of his credentials but really only barely scratch the surface. I must be honest he ain’t no Anthony Bourdain, but he’s jolly, wonderfully charming, has a great whit about him and makes you feel welcomed in his journey. I know that welcomed may not sound like the appropriate word but when you watch it you’ll understand.
The journey itself is really cool. Yes the scenery it great and the music selection is superb but we’ll get to that later. The thing that really makes this documentary great was the interaction between Stephen and his guides, hosts and just random Americans he visits. Some of the questions he asks these people are hard-nosed Matt Lauer worthy type questions. He asks a student at Humboldt State University about the amount of pot smoked there including herself (Humboldt is synonymous with pot). He asks a Hawaiian whether or not he feels American or Hawaiian or both? That answer was interesting. He visits with Ted Turner in Montana and Morgan Freeman in Mississippi and the conversations are hysterical and enlightening. There are times where he gets a bit philosophical but even my man Anthony tends to do that. I think that is just part of heavy travel.
The facts that we learn along the way are really interesting and actually I must admit there were quit a bit I didn’t know. The documentary was written by Stephen and is superb, and the facts that he gives and you learn keep you tied to your sit. The basis of the show is to visit every single state of the U.S. including Hawaii and Alaska. This leaves for a whirlwind adventure across our massive country. When you begin watching the documentary you’re taken back by how little he usually spends in a state, but there are some states that receive a bit more attention. It really just depends on the amount of character of the state. However, by the third disc you get the gist and actually become thankful for the hasty pace. For example who really wants to see Stephen spend 20 minutes in North Dakota or Delaware? I was happy to see him spend a good amount of time in my favorite state Kentucky. It’s a well-known fact that Stephen has a passion for whiskey and there isn’t a state more associated with whiskey than Kentucky. He visits Woodford Reserve in Versailles, Kentucky and has a bit, no a lot to drink with master distiller Chris Morris. He’s like Lebron in Kentucky, and this segment was easily one of my favorites as a bourbon lover. About the states though he pulls interesting facts about each state and each fact you learn is really interesting. It’s a movie full of fun facts.
Now we move into the film’s aesthetics. The shots are really great and the Blu-ray certainly doesn’t hurt. I wish we the viewers could have gotten some more scenery considering this was a travel documentary but we must keep in mind that he has to visit all fifty states. The shots underwater in the Pacific are of Planet Earth quality and the shots in Montana and Hawaii are breathtaking. The whole film is gorgeous. The soundtrack really hits the mark too. They did a nice job pairing songs with facts and states. The one that pops into my head first is the pairing of Neil Young’s “Ohio” when Stephen talks about the Kent State Massacre while he is in Ohio. These subtle little attributes really add to the film.
I really can’t say much about special features considering there aren’t really any. Actually there aren’t any at all. However, don’t let that take away from the documentary. There are six hours of America in this two-disc Blu-ray documentary. The writing is superb and Stephen’s charm pairs nicely with the brash American attitude. While in Montana Stephen asks Ted Turner, “How long will the snow stay?” Ted Turner promptly responds in the arrogant American way, “Depends on how warm it is.” This in turns leaves both Stephen and the viewer laughing pretty hard.
I may be a bit bias to this film considering I love documentaries and especially favor travel documentaries, but even if you only kind of like documentaries this is definitely fodder for your love of documentaries to grow. I highly recommend checking out this one. Stephen is able to present America in a way that even most of us Americans don’t know.
