Customer Reviews

Best Boy/Best Man

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This incredible two-disc set of the Oscar-winning "Best Boy" and its sequel, "Best Man", is already out in stores so I'm not sure why amazon has a late May release date. (I've seen copies at both Borders and Tower). In any case, in a world of great documentaries, few can top this powerful account of mentally challenged Philly Wohl, the director's cousin, as his aging parents try to get him on his feet before their deaths. If you can get through many of these scenes without crying -- Philly at his new day center watching a new girl friend dance with someone else as confusion falls over his face, Philly singing "If I Were a Rich Man" backstage with Zero Mostel, and, especially, Philly digesting news of his father's death -- then your heart is far more hardened than mine. This film (and its less known sequel, which catches up with Philly 20 years later) does what Hollywood can not with pathetic star vehicles like "Forrest Gump" and "Rainman": make you change the way you look at mentally challenged people and the ones who care for them forever. And, lest you think this sounds like a total downer, you'll be amazed how much you smile and fall in love with these people, as well. Don't miss this one and thank God for companies that Docurama that get these great long-out-of-print films back out there.

As a worker in the field of MRDD (mental retardation and developmental diabilities), I am always interested to see movies or documentaries about the people we serve. I was surprised to see this well-made film about such "real" people. No "poor retarded guy" schmooz, no extremely horrendous happenings, just a story about a man's life. Philly is a great guy with an exquisite, infectuous lust for life who had me laughing out loud! Yes, I was singing along to "If I were a Rich Man"! His down-to-earth, helpful, at times scared parents and sister mad me almost cry, because too often in our world of MRDD, our clients are alone, without family. Inspiring! Loving! Real!

Thank you Ira Wohl for this wonderful story of family, disability and the beauty of Judasim. Ira's production companty is called Only Child Productions, and these films show how much he wants the extended family and intense connection that he missed as an only child. He films his cousins Philly and Frances with love and respect, and they are utterly filmable with their non-selfconsciousness and goodness.

The answer to another reviewer's question is that the song Philly sings in "Best Boy" over the credits and with the psychiatrist is the Anniversary Waltzs (Oh, how we danced, on the night, we were wed...)

A wonderful film for anyone intersted in family, disability or Judaisim.

Best Boy won a best documentary Oscar and quite a few other awards; and the film deserved all of them. This sensitive, realistic documentary takes a loving, sensitive and rarely seen look at the lives of a developmentally challenged man, Phillip (aka "Philly") Wohl and his elderly parents, Max and Pearl. When the film starts, Max and Pearl are already up in years and they're beginning to have numerous medical problems associated with aging; Ira Wohl, both the filmmaker and Philly's cousin, made this film to show just how drastically Philly's life would change when his parents were no longer there to take care of him. The result works beautifully; we get a respectful, dignified look at Philly with his parents Max and Pearl; and there is some footage with Philly's sister as well.

Filmmaker Ira Wohl tracks on film Philly's life over roughly three and one-half years as he moves from being totally sheltered from the outside world, living life in his parents' home and only going out with his parents to the point where Philly goes to a day program for persons who are developmentally challenged--and then to the point where he finally moves into a nearby home for people just like himself. What is wonderful to watch is just how happily Philly adjusts to his new life; he soon becomes restless and bored when he can't get to the day program because of a heavy snowstorm; and he goes to a summer camp away from home--voluntarily--for the very first time living away from his parents even if it is only for three weeks. Philly quickly comes to love every bit of change that he experiences; his lust for life is striking even as his parents Max and Pearl (especially Pearl) yearn for their son to come back home full time again.

Of course, as you already know, Philly eventually moves into a home for others like himself; this home is managed by social workers and others who can supervise him while encouraging him to be as independent as possible and still be there for him if he develops any unforeseen problems.

While it may easily seem as if I've given too much away, I assure you that I haven't. There's a touching scene that will make you remember a song from a major Broadway musical like never before; and there is more footage of other events in Philly's life--some positive and some not so positive.

Best Man, also by Ira Wohl, takes an interesting follow-up look at Philly's life twenty years after Ira began making Best Boy. The documentary flows at a good pace so that you won't get bored, although the first ten or eleven minutes is a look back at Best Boy so that anyone can get caught up with anything they missed if they didn't watch Best Boy. They could have edited out a bit of the beginning ten or eleven minutes but this is a very minor flaw. The editing overall was well done and the narration by Ira Wohl, Philly's cousin, is excellent.

Happily for Philly and all concerned, we quickly see that Philly is leading a full, rich life with many social and educational activities to improve his quality of life even more. Sure, he can't learn everything, but I was impressed that his teacher at his day program taught him the months of the year and how to recognize important signs including the blue and white sign with an `H' meaning hospital. We see Philly having fun at a swimming pool on a day excursion with his teacher and the other members of his day program in Queens, New York; and much more. He has positive relationships with other members of his group home; and he is very close with his sister Fran who lives not far from Philly's group home.

There's much more I could say; but I don't want to spoil it all for you! I really liked how they treated Philly's very big trip to California and the footage of his Bar Mitzvah is excellent. I'll leave the rest for you to discover and enjoy.

Best Man is a fine documentary and I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoyed Best Boy; and certainly anyone who enjoys biographical, social and even cultural documentaries will want this for their collections. You won't be disappointed!

These are perhaps the best movies I have ever seen. They just puts such a human light to how a family copes with and is blessed by an impaired member. The camera work is great --- the director/filmer really knows how to capture moments of meaning and interest. You come away from these movies loving everyone in them. And despite the challenges of caring for and assisting Philly (the developmentally impaired person who is the "Best Boy, Best Man") these movies are very upbeat and give a good feeling. As an impaired person myself these movies tell something that definitely needs to be told.

I recently had the opportunity to review this two set DVD, and like others before me, found it an inspiring and wonderful resource for those involved with disability, specific to the quandary of dealing with disability- independence and adulthood. Twenty years elapsed between the first filming and the latter, which affords the audience a unique front row seat and follow-up perspective not often available, and in particular, an observation that allows the viewer to compare the life of `Philly' (the subject of the documentary), before and after his cousin Ira Wohl, the filmmaker, intervened in his life in a heartfelt, meaningful and profound way.
One burning subject matter that emerges from this documentary is the continuing questions which haunt parents, family members and caretakers of those with significant disability- what will happen to the disabled person after the caretakers are too old to care for their loved one- and ultimately, how does the disabled person maneuver through the world at large when their families, loved ones, and siblings are deceased, what will their lives look like. Not every disabled person has the loving and patient family that Philly has/had, but his situation was/is not unique.
When the first part of this documentary was made, a different set of social and medical standards were in place, and folks like Philly were typically institutionalized for life. Parents were told that it would be `best' for all involved to warehouse their disabled children, and that was the accepted logic that was followed decades ago. It was not for lack of love that parents relinquished their children to institutions, but out of love, listening to the `experts', resolved that there appeared oftimes to be no other choices. After experiencing in institutionalized setting (which is revealed in the film) Philly, like others with his profile, were `relegated' to living out their days in a safe, yet bland and futureless existence. Philly was lucky, he had a family that was able to and willing to embrace him in life. After viewing this documentary, one could ask themselves if the obstacles of social services is at all improved today or does it remain as challenging now as it was years ago.
Although this documentary is about our main character Philly, one can note that an undercurrent of a second story line is just as present- this second tier at hand highlights what can happen when individuals step up to the plate, in an effort to secure a future for the disabled, one that strives to afford them a meaningful quality of life. I highly recommend this item, and wish there were more documentaries like this one!

"Best Boy" is an award-winning documentary about Philly Wohl, a mentally disabled man. It was filmed by his cousin Ira Wohl. The cousin says in a preface that Philly was 52 years old at the time of the film and had always lived with his parents, except for a brief, unhappy time in an institution. Ira began to wonder what would become of Philly when his elderly parents died. The film documents Ira's and Philly's older sister's and parents' attempts to get him placed in an adult day training center for the mentally diabled, then later into a residential facility. Just in time, as a matter of fact, because Philly's father died the next year and his mother several months afterward.

The second disc, "Best Man" shows Philly 20 years later. As Ira said when people asked him about his cousin, "everybody should have as happy and peaceful a life as Philly." His sister Frances has him to her house for brief visits, but mostly he lives in the residential treatment facility. The great event during this phase of Philly's life is his Bar Mitzvah.

There is one other documentary film about a similar situation, "Mayor of the West Side". It deals with an adult male who is mentally retarded and shows him at the stage where his parents are growing too old to look after him and are seeking a place for him to live when they pass away.

I give both these films five stars, for true human emotions, for unflinching glimpses into true life. These real people deal with real, difficult, heart-wrenching situations the best they can.

A quote from Philly's mother, Pearl, says it all..."If God wanted to punish somebody, He should only send him a retarded child. Ah...such a heartache!"

This is a must for your home film library.

Best Boy draws you in from the start, as Philly is immensely sweet and likeable, but the films emotional effects are cumulative. Ultimately Phillys plucky spirit becomes an example of courage that all we "normal" people could only hope to follow. The documentary deservedly won 1979's Best Documentary Oscar. Dont miss this highly affecting piece.

20 years after his oscar-winning movie about his retarded cousin philly, director ira wohl re-visits his subject, now approaching 70 and doing quite well, thank you. the highlight of the movie centers on philly preparing for his long-delayed bar mitzvah, and it is touching. tho lacking the emotional conflict that made the earlier documentary so strong, it is nice to catch up with old friends and find out that life has indeed been kind.

It is rare that I am able to find movies or doumentaries on individuals with mental retardation/intellectual disability. Actors may play a role in a movie about mental retardation, but it is not the same. I am a social worker, and I work with persons who have mental retardation. I showed this film to staff and to the people who provide homes to these persons (we refer to them as care providers), and they also said that they throughly enjoyed it. It is a little long, but definitely worth watching.