Many people disregard 'homeless people' as either being lazy, 'mental cases' whom have slipped through the cracks of the system, or drunks and/or junkies, lost without a cause. That is not my personal opinion, although widely assumed by society in general, this is the actual opinion of a homeless man himself, the central figure of this sad yet insightful documentary.
John Blalock is the main subject of this documentary set in Florida that looks into the lives of homeless men who have found shelter in the woods on vacant land.
The world of a homeless man is a very lonely one, and in John's case, he keeps the company of a few men who all seem to be homeless for different reasons. John, a college graduate, once married, a proud homeowner and carpenter, found himself tied up with drug and drinking problems which sent him spiraling into a world of which he lost control. He lost his house and family and chose to clean up his act by living homeless in the woods.
General society sees most homeless people as those dirty, gin-soaked vagrants who sit on the street corner downtown begging for money, usually accompanied with a filthy blanket and makeshift cardboard sign explaining their vagrancy.
Putting stereotypes aside, John, with the knowledge of the carpentry profession, uses that to his advantage and builds a makeshift shelter out of building scraps and construction site refuse. He also has the ability to strip metals and trade them in at aluminum and copper factories for cash. With that cash, he buys his minimal needs like food and household products to keep his living conditions habitable.
John is a very intelligent person. He isn't lazy, he reads the paper, second-hand books, knows right from wrong and does not spend his waking hours drunk or looking for a fix. He simply wants to live alone in a society that isn't run by the rules of a Government.
Unfortunately, most of the homeless people in his company are mental cases or drunks. John disapproves of their actions and reasons for being homeless, yet feels that he is hardly in a position to criticize their lifestyle choices.
He's been homeless for nearly 11 years and has not spoken to his sister and niece in that time. The creators of this documentary focus on their reunion and why he can't bring himself to make contact with them.
The homeless men receive frequent visits from an outreach group who provide medical assistance to the needy, and one woman in particular helps make the reunion between John and his sister possible. When they do meet, it is a very bittersweet moment for both of them.
Forget 'reality' shows like "SURVIVOR". If you ever want to know what it's like to survive on bare necessities and will power, then you should watch and learn some lessons from this man.
After watching this documentary, I never thought in my lifetime that I'd ever find inspiration in a homeless man! Who knew?