Fake?
Did anyone else think this was acting? I don't think it seemed real at all. Am I missing something?
shareNah it seemed like a documentary to me....only acting I saw was at the end
shareactually, it was 100% real... maybe the whole interviewing people was fake, but him finding his father at his grandparents house & talking on the phone to john dunbar WAS real...
shareIt is real. I used to work for his Uncle, the one married to John's sister Sue.
shareI hated the acting bit at the end. It infuriated me. The rest of the documentary was brave, thought-provoking, even a little inspiring, and then there is that navel-gazing, self-indulgent sequence at the end that just sucked the sincerity out of it for me.
But maybe I'm looking at it the wrong way. Anyone else have a take on this?
I think he was attempting to tie it in to earlier in the film where he mentioned that you visualize how things like the reunion are going to go, but they never turn out that way.
The two acted out 'scenarios' were a worst/best case scenario of what he thought might happen, and the rest of the documentary was what really happened - something that is between the worst/best case.
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Yeah I def agree that he was tryin to show the two scenarios and I think it also went along with what Adrians friend said. How he wanted Adrians dad to be some *beep* guy...so they played out that scenario. I thought the ending was really great and showed a different side to Adrian in the film. He showed that even with such a serious, important subject manner he can still show his comical side. Even with the title "Shot in the Dark"...genius. haha
shareThanks for explaining, that makes it not quite as bad for me.
But there's something about the way he did it, though...it didn't quite work for me. Maybe the fact that it was tacked on at the end. It felt disjointed from the rest of the doc.
I think it's funny that some people thought it was fake when to me it seemed so real. Adrian seems like such a genuine guy.
I also grew up without a father, and Adrian's emotions were so accurate and so similar to my own that I can't see this being fake.
If the emotions seem a little unnatural or forced, it's because seeing your father for the first time in years is an awkward moment. It's hard to know how to react because your supposed to have a special bond with a person who is a complete stranger.
That may be why it didn't seem real or natural but in my opinion it doesn't get much realer than this.
I was so confused by this too! I was at one point crying and then at the end got so confused because they had those two random scenes. I was just wondering- if the dad and Adrian were having a big reunion and it was all awkward at the beginning, why would they do those two spoof scenes??? I really don't get it. Why would anyone do that if they just met their father again after 18 years. And yeah I'm sure you worked with his uncle.
Otherwise, I thought it was really interesting to see where Adrian came from. I would have never guessed his family to be like that!
maybe they thought it would break up some of the awkwardness of the first meeting...to have a little fun and act.
shareI just saw this on HBO last night and it totally caught my eye when they said they are going to Ohio to see his dad! THEN it REALLY caught my eye when they met in MARION. Because I am from Marion, Ohio!!!! I recognized all the places they went too! Darn it! Why didn't anyone tell me he was coming here...??? He is such a good actor and easy on the eyes! Maybe he will come back at Christmas time to visit!?
shareI grew up in Marion too through I live in California now. I have been back in town enough the last few years to know the Lowes they were in front of was closed and they built a bigger one across the road facing 23. Seeing them at Southland Lanes was funny too. I can't really tell where the grandparents house is though. I am guessing near Waldo?
shareI thought it looked like it was more on the way to Caledonia???? Is that trailer park still in Caledonia? That's about all there was to the whole place. You two from Ohio...ever been to the OK bar? That bar with motorcycle carcasses hanging from the celiling? That's the way it was about 10 years ago anyway. Haven't been back in a while.
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i also am from Marion ohio and i really wanted to watch this film though i dont get hbo. I dont think it is fake because i remember hearing about this, and if he were going to fake it i think he would find a better place than little podunk marion.
shareI actually live in Lancaster, Oh where Adrian's father lived and still lives to this day. I attended the high school where John Dunbar teaches and remember him well.
I don't personally know the family but he always seemed nice and his wife as well.
I just wanted to add that this documentary is anything but fake.