Life, Liberty & the Pursuit of Happiness (2003) Poster

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8/10
Understanding Humans, Or Trying To...
DeanNYC19 January 2006
Sociological over explanation, first for humorous then for poignant effect, on the topic of abortion. An unseen narrator explains, as if the viewer was from another galaxy, life on earth generally, and in the United States specifically, and relates the topic of reproduction, government and abortion to one particular family.

Through the use of film clips, news reports, and other elements, the story is told of the Adams family, a politician father, a caring mother, their daughter and her boyfriend, and how this topic becomes an important part of their lives. Included in the discussion is the history of the Constitution, a biology lesson of mammals, a geographic and sociological examination of the planet and a look at the rise of feminism in the USA.
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7/10
Well constructed and interesting--with an agenda
planktonrules23 July 2008
Warning: Spoilers
This was included on the disk "Shorts: Volume 2"--a rather dull collection of short films. Shorts are among my favorite style of films but somehow the people assembling this second collection had a hard time finding quality content--and it wasn't nearly as good as the first volume or other shorts collections. This particular short film is one of the better ones in the collection.

LIFE, LIBERTY & THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS is a very unusual short film that certainly grabs your attention. The film consists of an English-accented woman narrating a long series of odd pictures and cut-outs--slightly reminiscent of Terry Gilliam's cartoons from "Monty Python". What is interesting is the history lecture and the often odd choice of words and pictures--they DEFINITELY have a way of grabbing your attention. The kooky and strange aspects of this lecture almost force you to keep watching to see what the ultimate goal of the film is--and for this style, I really applaud the film makers. It got you to agree with the narrator that certain aphorisms are true--leading you, ultimately, to accept its final statement. Interestingly, the goal turned out to be a very long argument in favor of abortion--and the message was only slipped in at the end. The arguments did not in any way convince me one way or the other and the method was a bit under-handed--but very clever as well.
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10/10
Very clever little short film about a woman's right to choose
andreabe22 October 2003
This film was shown at Lunafest 2003, a film festival celebrating women, and the film was brilliant. It a series of film clips and pictures with a woman narrating. The story is cleverly weaved and the point about freedom of choice in America, especially for women's reproductive rights, builds in a very interesting and meaningful way.
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5/10
Recycled vehicle, new message
MMyers-48 January 2006
Nowhere does it say this film is structured the same as "Ilha das Flores," so I'm guessing most people don't know this. It was creepy watching this unrelated film with Isle still fresh in my mind- I thought I was watching the same movie.

In any case, the relevance of the film is kinda lost when you spend most of the film wondering why or how this film ended up emulating a previously existing film.

My conclusion is that Isle of Flowers was so successful at communicating its message, the director of this film decided to reuse the formula.

Not a bad film- it makes a strong, clear point- however just an awkward watch for someone who has seen the original version. I can't give the makers bonus points for creativity, but I guess they can have some points for finding a clear way to express their ideas.

But alas, I've spent more time thinking about the structure of the film then the message. I don't think that's what Tiffany wanted.
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