This is where Netflix comes to the rescue. Sure, they've got great series you can binge on to get you caught up for the fall (we tried starting "Call the Midwife," but after one episode I decided I was too hormonally imbalanced to handle it right now), but lately Scott and I have gotten into some of the documentaries they offer.
"The Short Game"
This movie focuses on the best young golfers in the world who are competing in North Carolina to be the world champion and hope to be the next big golfer — once they get a later bedtime, of course. Not only are these nine kids the movie follows adorable, but they are incredible golfers. I loved watching their determination and persistence in practicing and improving their golf game right alongside their goofy, 7-year-old ways. The movie took me through the whole range of emotions, from joy when they succeeded to heartbreak when they didn't do as well as they hoped.
"Muscle Shoals"
This documentary tells the story of Rick Hall who founded FAME Studios in Muscle Shoals, Alabama. In his studio, he developed a signature sound that made FAME a popular place to record for many artists and helped launch some big name artists and hit songs. It's full of great music and some surprising stories — like how Aretha Franklin was dropped by her original record label because she wasn't selling, only to be re-signed by another and take a trip to Muscle Shoals, which helped propel her to the star she is today.
"Undefeated"
Filmed at a high school in Memphis, this movie tells the story of the Manassas Tigers football team as they attempt a winning season after years of losing. They're turned around by their head coach, who teaches them character and how to excel on and off the field. It won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 2012. We found about about this movie because one of the students Scott was recruiting was actually part of the team when it was filmed. Now he gets to put "featured in an Academy Award winning film" on his resume for life. If you love heartwarming sports movies about a rag-tag team who comes together under the leadership of their coach, then you'll love this one!
"Mitt"
"I have looked, by the way, at what happens to anybody in this country who loses as the nominee of their party. They become a loser for life, all right? That's it. It’s over." That's one of the first things you hear from Republican presidential nominee hopeful Mitt Romney in a 2007 fundraiser. That idea sets the tone for the documentary since we, the audience, know his ultimate fate in losing the nomination to John McCain in that election and going on to lose the presidency to Barak Obama four years later. It provides an interesting personal look into Romney's life, making him seem less robotic than what many voters saw on the campaign trail. It was a great look behind the scenes, and I especially enjoyed seeing his family's perspective, since I never thought much about the toll the process of his running for president must have on them.
So, there you have it. What are you watching this summer? Or are you one of those "we don't even own a TV" types? If so, to quote Joey from "Friends," "What does all of your furniture point at?"
