Movie Review by Joan Ellis –
The Biggest Little Farm will stand for a long while as a towering example of skill and attention to detail. As one who is not pulled in by stories about farming or animals, I was thoroughly unprepared for the emotional wallop delivered by this movie. Please don’t miss this experience.
John and Molly Chester live in an apartment where Molly indulges her love of cooking and harbors a dream of growing everything she might ever cook. Husband John narrates the story of what happened after neighbors’ complaints about their newly acquired barking dog drove them from their building. They’ve lost me already.
An hour north of Los Angeles, the couple buys 200 acres of uneven, dry, untillable land. Addressing their own ignorance, they also acquire the services of Alan York who advises them to emulate the natural ecosystem and stays on as their advisor. When they advertise for helpers, many come, and they stay.
We watch the gang acquire baby ducks, sheep, chickens, and others who supply the natural fertilizer for bringing the soil back to life. As this unfolds, seventy-five varieties of fruit flourish. Before long – just be patient – we realize we are seeing a kind of filming few of us have ever seen before.
In astonishing closeups, the camera captures the beauty and detail of the lives of the animals as they bring the land back to life under the care of the owners. Open yourselves to the magical creativity of this husband/wife team that never stops learning and loving what they do.
Drought, storms, and toxic water hit repeatedly and yet their dream materializes in a design that stuns us whenever the camera shows us the farm from a distance. In closeups of just a few inches, the behavior of the animals is nothing less than astonishing. From the eyes and skill of a photographer who is an artist, we learn things about beauty, about dedication, and about animals way beyond anything I have ever seen on film.
The ducks eat 90,000 troubling snails; more cows bring more manure; maggots are food for the chickens. The worst drought in 1200 years threatens the whole 200 acres. Then 18” of rain soaks all of it. Hawks attack from above, gophers and snakes from below. As the threats arrive, we watch the faces and behavior of animals as they sleep, stare, and react. We are astonished at the complexity and vulnerability of this web of life that is rooted in impermanence.
You will enjoy and admire the emotional depth of the couple and their tutor who are always growing as they solve the problems in the life they love. They don’t control nature; they live in harmony with what it hands them. The Chesters filmed their experiment in rare closeups every day for eight years in wind, fire, and rain. They have created an unprecedented experience for everyone who is silenced by the beauty of what they have done.
Film Critic : Joan Ellis
Film Title : The Biggest Little Farm
Word Count : 496
Running Time : 1:31
Rating : PG
Date : May 12, 2019