The Documentary Group

Matt (Ideas) has started The Documentary Group as a “collection of some favorite documentaries by documentary lovers for documentary lovers.” This is my first submission.

The Beaver Trilogy (Trent Harris, 2001) is one of the oddest documentaries I’ve seen. It combines three films: The Beaver Kid (1979) documents cameraman Harris discovering ‘Groovin’ Gary outside his Salt Lake City, Utah news station. Gary is charismatic, doing impressions and just generally pleased to be on TV. He later contacts Harris and invites him to come to Beaver, ID to film a talent show Gary is putting on. Gary will be the main act with his full-drag impersonation of Olivia Newton-John’s “Please Don’t Keep Me Waiting”.

The next installment, The Beaver Kid 2 (1981), features Sean Penn in the role of ‘Groovin’ Larry, recreating the entire first documentary.

The Orkly Kid (1985) is an extended remake starring a young Crispin Glover.

Harris is interviewed in a This American Life episode entitled “Reruns.”