If it is the objective of a work of art to hold up a mirror to our own lives, then 51 Birch Street, in all its makeshift craftsmanship, is a great work of art.

| May 18, 2008

A portrait of a marriage, Capturing the Friedmans-style.

Full Review | Feb 29, 2008

a documentary for every Baby Boomer, and every Boomer parent, to ponder

| Original Score: 4/5 | Nov 8, 2007

Leads us through a nice range of emotions and invites us to contemplate our own parents' lives

| Original Score: 3/4 | Aug 30, 2007

There is nothing more mysterious than the secrets of the people around us, and from the unraveling of this mystery Doug forms a beautiful portrait of an unfulfilled woman.

| Aug 17, 2007

Reflecting upon the complications of post-war marriage in the pre-divorce age, Block's film does presenting an interesting and intensely intimate tale about his own parents.

| Original Score: B | Jun 21, 2007

Unfolds like an epistolary psychological mystery. Little about or in this movie is as simple as it seems.

| May 10, 2007

Doug Block delves effectively into family mysteries without offending or showing disrespect to any of the parties involved.

| Original Score: 4/5 | Apr 8, 2007

In families, especially, perceptions are relative . . . reminds us that the seemingly mundane, right at our dinner tables, can offer its own special, bittersweet poetry.

Full Review | Feb 11, 2007

| Original Score: 4/6 | Feb 3, 2007

It gradually turns into a vivid demonstration that truth can be stronger than fiction, and that compromise is necessary in any lasting relationship.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Jan 12, 2007

51 Birch Street, like the best of the recent wave of personal documentaries, is both a compelling story and an eye-opening bit of social history.

| Original Score: A | Jan 11, 2007

The overall effect makes one ponder how much we really know about our parents, as well as how much we really want to know.

| Original Score: 3/4 | Dec 30, 2006

Just as Doug starts looking at his own marriage through new eyes after reading about his parents', so will most viewers. "51 Birch Street" could be any address in America.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Dec 15, 2006

The film grows in power as it goes, finding ever more universal levels of feeling.

| Original Score: 3.5/4 | Nov 24, 2006

Through haunting home movies, Mina's diaries and interviews with Mike, a raw, riveting portrait emerges of what a child sees in his parents' relationship and what lies beneath.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Nov 13, 2006

We'd all be better off if we could find our grace without a camera's obstruction, but ironically, Block's film provides a useful direction to see our way.

Full Review | Original Score: 2.5/4 | Nov 7, 2006

A resounding success because it touches on things every child has wondered about on the road to adulthood.

| Original Score: 4/4 | Nov 3, 2006

Ultimately, the film reveals more about Block than about his private, remote mother and father.

Full Review | Original Score: C- | Nov 3, 2006

It's a fine film, and it's practically guaranteed to make you think about your own relationships.

Full Review | Original Score: 3.5/4 | Nov 2, 2006