SURFWISE

By Ray DeRousse / July 1, 2011

Written & Directed by: Doug Pray Distributed by Magnolia Pictures Available at Amazon for $23.99 RIGHT NOW. Review by Ray DeRousse

rating: 4

The increasingly-invasive American lifestyle - buy more, work more, accumulate more, consume more - has led to a revival of the hippie aesthetic of the sixties. People are beginning to reconsider the meaning to life, and what it means to be truly happy and contented. Movies like last year's INTO THE WILD have romanticized the concept of walking away from the demands of modern living. It certainly sounds attractive; burn your credit cards and driver's license, toss your money to the wind, and hang around soaking in the good vibrations of the universe. Of course, you then leave the theater and wonder about the mechanics of survival under those conditions. Eventually you end up back in the drive thru at McDonald's with your hard-earned paycheck like every other sucker. The new documentary SURFWISE continues the anti-establishment trend. It chronicles the true story of Dorian Paskowitz, a Jewish physician who, in his thirties, walked away from his successful medical practice and embarked on a bum-like life on the road, surfing the entire time. In his little trailer, Dorian raised a family of nine children. The kids never went to public school. They were raised on diets devoid of fats and sugars. No television. Plenty of adventurous exercise and sunshine courtesy of a beachcombing lifestyle. The film looks over the forty years of family history, unflinchingly examining the positive and negative aspects of such an existence. Dorian, now in his mid-eighties, exudes a fierce intelligence combined with deep empathy. His piercing blue eyes, set cozily into his weathered and wrinkled face, radiate a love of life that his failing body prevents him from living anymore. The documentary gives Dorian much credit - and much blame - for the successes and failures of his chosen lifestyle. His children, all of whom left to pursue worldly lifestyles, come across as quite bitter and resentful of the opportunity afforded to them by their unconventional father. The documentary takes a hard look at the ten year estrangement among the family, and their eventual reunion. Director DOUG PRAY keeps the largely-chronological documentary zippy and frank, dipping unreservedly into topics like bathroom habits and sexual affairs inside the little camper. It also contains a surprising amount of spiritual philosophy that I found inspirational and absorbing. One cannot watch this film and fail to see the wisdom behind many of Dorian's methods. His thoughts on modern culture feel accurate and, as one person interviewed says, even prophetic. While SEAN PENN'S film about Chris McCandless felt glossy and a bit heavy-handed, this film takes a similar subject and makes the experience real. This family left the world and its trappings behind, and not only survived, but thrived. Along the way, they shared experiences that most people deny themselves due to their lifestyle, yet are vitally important to the life of the human organism. This film contains a lot of joy, regret, love, and sadness, wrapped in life lessons that we all desperately need to consider. This is a transcendent, illuminating film. The film is now available on HDNet Ultra VOD. You can find more about the brilliant film from the official website.

The film is now available on HDNet Ultra VOD