Brother, Can You Spare a Dollar

Name: Brother, Can You Spare a Dollar
Genre: Documentary
Released: August 17, 2012
Duration: 70 min

2012

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Movie Details & Credits

Ray Adell Media Enterprises, Inc | Release Date: August 17, 2012 | Not Rated

Summary: Brother, Can You Spare a Dime opens this summer.As the title suggests, Brother, Can You Spare a Dollar explores the socioeconomic realities of the Great Depression era and compares it to our current recession-ridden society. Through contemporary interviews and archival materials the film recreates the 1930's - a period when most people hadBrother, Can You Spare a Dime opens this summer.As the title suggests, Brother, Can You Spare a Dollar explores the socioeconomic realities of the Great Depression era and compares it to our current recession-ridden society. Through contemporary interviews and archival materials the film recreates the 1930's - a period when most people had low expectations regarding material comforts, but high expectations in terms of personal responsibility and community. We travel across the decades to site the rowing influence of consumerism, technology, and mass media and illustrate how our higher standards of living were garnered at the expense of our sense of community, security and fellowship. We study the Occupy Movement and it's potential to transform the "Me" Generation, trace the development of the "virtual" society, and speculate on the future social impact of frivolous technologies. (Ray Adell Media Enterprises, Inc.)… Expand

Director: Thom Hoffman

Genre(s): Documentary

Rating: Not Rated

Runtime: 70 min

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Critic Reviews

Neil Genzlinger

Aug 16, 2012

The whole enterprise has a get-off-my-lawn feel; it tries to pass off whining and a rose-colored-glasses view of the past as insight. Read full review

Michael Atkinson

Aug 14, 2012

At first, Hoffman appears to be juxtaposing the savoir faire and genuine deprivation of the Depression society with the spoiled, consumption-crazed world we have now, but then he merely lapses into a vague Occupy-ish indictment of the 1 percent and the collapse of community as a cultural foundation. Read full review

Kyle Smith

Aug 17, 2012

A shoddy, slapdash look at issues raised by the Great Depression that neither gives an adequate overview nor manages to argue a coherent thesis. Read full review

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Mark-Scheur

Jun 13, 2013

After reviewing this short film I decided to re-think what I just saw. I soaked in all aspects of what was portrayed to us the viewer. In the past, life seemed a lot simpler, meaning that with less technology there was less responsibility. Even with our toys (Cell phones, GPS devices,After reviewing this short film I decided to re-think what I just saw. I soaked in all aspects of what was portrayed to us the viewer. In the past, life seemed a lot simpler, meaning that with less technology there was less responsibility. Even with our toys (Cell phones, GPS devices, portable gaming systems and IPAD's Tablets) the appreciation of a face to face conversation is no more. What about asking someone for directions is in the past. Do you remember the day when you would go Bowling, play a set of Tennis or even a game of hand ball is forgotten. With the toys & gadgets we have a responsibility not to lose what makes us Human. That text message has no feel or warmth to it. It's a bunch of words typed on a screen. Where's that Human essence or touch we possess? To move onto the future with our daily toys, we must hold the past as the foundation of who we are and where are we going. That smile or frown and even that needle hitting that spinning round piece of vinyl (yes a record) has to be put into our DNA. Can we truly survive without the Toys and extras which technology has given us? Technology is good, it allows us to grow and improve, but don't lose track where we came from. History, understanding decoding the past. Hopefully we will learn from our mistakes. The Film, "Brother, Can You Spare A Dollar" hits a nerve who we are, who we were and who are we going to be. Slow down appreciate what we have and put our lives in the proper prospective. I enjoyed the film a lot! It was both informative and entertaining.… Expand

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bugie

Jun 26, 2013

I found this documentary a breath of fresh air. It was not 'heavy handed' in the way that some of these documentaries are, where the interviewees are so predictable that you could fill in the dialog yourself. Yes we know; "it was cold, so cold, in the winter, hot, in the Summer, floods,I found this documentary a breath of fresh air. It was not 'heavy handed' in the way that some of these documentaries are, where the interviewees are so predictable that you could fill in the dialog yourself. Yes we know; "it was cold, so cold, in the winter, hot, in the Summer, floods, dust bowls, bonus riots, and the only thing we had to eat was bread, thin soup and apples for five cents but no one had a nickel!" Phooey! This was on a more personal note. It went beyond privation, but to what we had, as a nation, then, that we do not have now. We have 'social media' and hundreds of 'virtual friends'. They knew who their neighbors were and they actually spoke to them in 'real time'. We are rushed today in a way that the 'depression kids' find nightmarish. I grew up in the early 60's and have some of that feeling myself. I kind of like to freak out kids, who seem shocked that there were only about 10 TV stations, including UHF (do they even have UHF today?) and, if you missed something, you had to wait until summer re-runs to see it. That clown from the New York Times said the film had a 'get off my lawn' feeling. What an 'elitist twit'! That condo dwelling Chablis-swilling twerp wouldn't know what to do with a lawn if he tripped over one. The had less, lost more and still maintained their humanity and that's what got them through. By contrast, we've got a lot more cushioning when we fall, but I guarantee you, if we lose our electronic 'binkies' (another word for pacifiers, I'm told), we're all going to sit down and cry like spoiled kids! "No internet? How will we survive without 'tweeting' every five minutes about every damn thing we see, hear and do?" Let me tell you something, most of the world could care less what kind of croissant you had for breakfast!… Expand

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Mantaray

Jul 11, 2013

This film is a challenging reminder of the harshest part of the history of our country economically, the Great depression, and how it compares with the Great Recession that started with the 2008 crash and subsequent damage that continues to this day. The retelling of the period from aThis film is a challenging reminder of the harshest part of the history of our country economically, the Great depression, and how it compares with the Great Recession that started with the 2008 crash and subsequent damage that continues to this day. The retelling of the period from a variety of people who endured it is compelling, and while the filmmakers premise, that the greed of the ever growing consumer generations that followed the depression is shaky, the diverse avenues he takes us down, his sometimes elegant sometimes quirky approaches make for a very interesting film. I saw it at the Huntington Cinema Arts Theatre in Huntington where there was standing room only and the meaty question and answer period after the showing, with the filmmaker taking the questions was provocative and informative.… Expand

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