MartinHafer For historical reasons, I can understand this film. It documents a way of life and people that are very unique and a dying breed. So the film has SOME value. However, as far as entertainment goes, I think this is one of the dullest and least interesting films ever made. Errol Morris seemed to pick the most boring old coots in a small Florida Panhandle town and just let them ramble and ramble about mostly uninteresting hobbies and passions. We are 'treated' to a very, very dull guy talking about his turkey hunting experiences (his MANY, MANY, MANY experiences), a guy talking about raising worms (and he didn't even show us any!), an old guy showing off his possum, the world's dullest minister (I mean no disrespect, but he was just terrible--at least on this particular day as he talked on and on and on about the word 'therefore'!!!) and other such completely dry as I was listening to their dull and pointless rambling. I'm sure they are nice people but still, who cares about their dull lives--at least the way they were presented here?! I like fishing, but I think if I spend 30 minutes showing off my fishing lures, it, too, would bore practically everyone to death. So why, oh why, would you want to watch someone talking about their hobbies that have no interest to practically anyone else?! Amazingly, there are some who found this film funny or interesting. I don't. However, despite this being a terrible film, I DO recommend you try watching some of the film maker's other films--such as "Mr. Death" and "Fast, Cheap & Out of Control". As Morris worked on more and more films, he was able to take seemingly ordinary films and put together interesting vignettes about them--here, however, he hasn't yet learned this fine art and the people just seem like dullards--which, given editing and proper direction, they might NOT have been. Unless you are a die-hard Morris groupie, find some other documentary--ANY other documentary to watch!

valis1949 The overwhelming majority of comedians could sharpen their technique and analyze for decades and not come anywhere close to the unintentional hilarity of these 'regular folks'. At only fifty-five minutes, this is a side-splitting tour de force. Each and every 'interview' contains a nugget of cracked wisdom and haphazard idiocy that made me want to grab a pen and paper. There are so many favorites, that I am at a loss to declare the funniest moment in the film. However, the fishing incident involving the dead mule, the "expanding sand", and the prolix philosophy of The Turkey Hunt are all comedic gems. Rarely does a film which is merely a random collection of 'talking heads' leave you wishing for more.

ethylester I am not sure what to think about this movie. To me, it was just some people talking about their daily, original thoughts. I know people like this. I might be someone like this one day. I guess I don't see the point in it. I felt like the filmmaker was trying to prove something - but what? I couldn't figure it out.And did anyone notice there are NO WOMEN who tell stories in Vernon, (except the wife at the end)? Why is this? Was the filmmaker only trying to make a movie about old men? Or did the women of Vernon have boring stories to tell? I suppose this could be compared to a folklore collection. The rural folks, telling their stories, with or without a point. I love reading rural folklore because it often seems abstract, simple and enlightening at the same time. Even if you didn't live in that time period or under those circumstances, you can relate it to your life. I am sure I would have loved to talk to these old men about their lives. I could have easily sat at the bench with the opossum/turtle guy for hours hearing his stories. I would have been touched to ride on the boat with the man who talked about God, and he probably would have made some good points. It's not a big deal.Yes, he cracked me up when he said "I was the only person he knew that knows what to do with a opossum!" and then he held it by the tail and watched it try to walk away, and nothing else. Yes, I laughed when the preacher talked about the word "therefore" forever because it seemed sort of pointless. But, I am just thinking - so what? What's new? Also, what is the filmmaker trying to prove here? am I supposed to be laughing? There are people like this everywhere, and there always has been. Pick up any oral folklore book and you will find this film isn't an idea worth calling "brilliant".Go outside, talk to people. There are folks like this everywhere. Not just in Vernon, Florida. Maybe the reason people like it so much is that it captures this kind of personality in a raw and visual way. But you could do the same thing if you went outside your city limits and had some conversations with strangers. These people aren't freaks, they aren't even that weird, comparatively. They live their lives and they are happy, for the most part. Isn't that what everyone wants? I just don't think it's that weird and wacky. It's life.I don't get it. Also, I would have liked to see more women in Vernon. 5/10.

enjolras14 This is the genuine reality TV: old Floridian men telling you how it is in 1981. The ultra-slow pacing of this film, the incredible humor -- but also the respect and very American pride -- have made it my new favorite film. I only own 20 movies, but this will be one of them, because it's a treasure. I am quoting this movie more than Napoleon Dynamite, and I'm just sorry that there aren't more folks around who've seen it to pick up on the jokes. Fans of the Mockumentary wave will immediately recognize that all the great mockumentary makers MUST have seen this movie. Ultimately it shows a compassionate portrait of how funny and beautiful reality really is.