This is one of the funniest documentaries of all time. The absurdity of Morris' interviewees creates a sense of comedy that was also included in his film "Gates of Heaven", but with "Gates of Heaven" their is a bit more of a range with it's emotion. However, "Vernon, Florida" is really just a comedy, and is really funny!The film, like "Gates of Heaven", can be portrayed as either a satire of, or a celebration of those featured in the film. However you look at it, "Vernon, Florida" is a documentary film far funnier than most. At only 56 minutes, it is one of the greatest documentaries of all time, and my favorite film from my favorite filmmaker, Errol Morris ("Gates of Heaven", "The Thin Blue Line", "The Fog of War"). Why is it so great? It's weird, entertaining, and, of course, funny! An easy 10!

Vernon, Florida (1981)*** (out of 4) Errol Morris' second features takes a look at some of the strange folks living in Vernon, Florida. From what I've read originally Morris went to this town due to its high insurance fraud rate but once there he decided to put his camera on the people. We meet people including a turkey hunter who does nothing but talk turkey (wonder if the shrimp from FORREST GUMP was inspired by this guy), an old man and his "pets," a policeman who sits and waits for speeders while then admitting he doesn't have his radar gun because it's at the shop and several other locales. I'd read several reviews that attacked this movie for being mean-spirited but I didn't find that to be the case at all. Something like GREY GARDENS had me questioning if the only reason the filmmakers were filming the subject were to show how crazy they were. Morris here doesn't fall into the same feeling. I thought going into the picture that it was going to be exploiting this somewhat backwoods folks but that wasn't the case at all. It really does seem as if Morris is interested in what these people have to say about their passions and just lets them go on talking. This is especially true for the turkey hunter who goes through just about every avenue in regards to hunting. I can't say I've ever hunted a turkey but after listening to this guy I really do believe I could go out and do it on my own and know what I was doing. Even the old man with his pets gets confused about what he's talking about but not once did I ever get the impression that Morris was laughing at him or showing the old man to embarrass him. Perhaps others will see this differently but I found the stories here to be entertaining and they kept me involved, although I will admit I'm not sure why they did.

Errol Morris's 1982 documentary Vernon, Florida, is rife with a great backstory; one that is interesting as the quirky townsfolk it portrays, This was Morris's second stab at the documentary form- after his earlier Gates Of Heaven, and it detailed the ramblings of a number of wacky folk from the town. Initially, the legend goes, Morris was drawn to Vernon- a Panhandle town, because, over the prior quarter century dozens of residents had taken up the bizarre practice of cutting off assorted limbs of theirs to collect large insurance payments. The working title of the film was Nub City, but Morris changed the title and focus once several people threatened his life. Morris is said to have chimed in, 'They literally became a fraction of themselves to become whole financially.' Yet, the truth is that the sorts of wacky folk portrayed live all over America, and the world- I saw them growing up in New York City, I've seen them in Midwestern suburbs and Great Lakes fishing towns, as well as the heart of Texas. Thus, the thing that I found the most interesting was that this 56 minute long film was not originally a theatrical release, but made for WNET, the New York City public television station. Given how formulaic most PBS documentaries have become in the quarter century since this film's release, that, alone, is a fact worth pondering.

This is a surprise, a documentary about weird, old people in Florida that manages to be both amusing and insightful. The film is very simply a collection of anecdotes from Vernon's eccentric elderly residents about their hobbies and in the case of the bored policeman, his job.Errol Morris, surely one of the best documentary filmmakers of recent times, wisely chooses to let his subjects do the talking. There is no Michael Moore grandstanding and no pompous voice-over. The result is refreshing as it allows the viewer to come to their own conclusion about the interviewees without having someone's personal agenda shoved down your throat. Personally, I think these old coots are awesome. They have all found different ways to bring happiness and meaning to their twilight years, whether it be shooting turkeys, farming worms or looking after stray animals. While the gobbler hunter provides most of the laughs with his amazing anecdotes and wall of turkey feet, the highlight for me was the priest and his sermon.Vernon, Florida is a beautifully filmed documentary that stands up incredibly well 25 years after it was made. This is highly recommended.