“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.