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Tripping on the Source [The Source Family]

“You can do whatever you want, as long as you’re kind.” So spoke the guru, the father, the magnet of a 1970s hippie community called The Source Family. Curiously, this spiritual leader encouraged one of his doting ladies to photograph and videotape the goings-on of this alternative lifestyle. Integrating interviews done decades later with former commune members, the film “The Source Family” is a window to a window. It’s heady and visceral. It is an opportunity, effectively edited.

Below are a bevy of questions.  See “The Source Family” and keep an eye out for any answers you might find in this film.

-          Can it be that being kind is not as simple as it seems? (And does kindness get dwarfed by other personal inclinations?)

-          How much kumbaya is too much kumbaya (And does second-hand kumbaya threaten other people’s health?)

-          Is being idealistic stupid? (And is there a way to be partially idealistic in such a way that you can keep it from crossing over to stupid? And can stupid be better than smart?)

This documentary is a surprisingly objective account. It knows that wishful and cynical tensions will well up in different viewers in different ways. The questions keep on coming. (Your source and destination may vary.)

-          Is sex, drugs, and rock & roll an irresistible package? (And how many different meanings are there in all the eyebrows it raises?)

-          Why do we hanker for the other shoe to drop? (And when and why should we put our foot in it?)

-          Are spirituality and godliness good travel partners? (And might godliness have a better sense of direction? And can good travel partners ever really lose their way?)

People who experienced The Source Family were fundamentally affected by a charismatic figure in their lives. From the inside and the outside and beyond, people have always been suckers for charisma. (Lollipop, lollipop; oh, lolli lolli lolli; lollipop, lollipop ….)

See “The Source Family” (Nevada Theatre, 7:30, May 17, 18 and 19). Wherever you are in the realms of longing and dismissiveness (and parenthetical musings), this film is a trip.