This is an excellent and depressing documentary about a man’s personal belongings being stolen by the city of Philadelphia after his death.
After making a fortune in pharmaceuticals Dr. Barnes amassed a collection of art that according to wikipedia is worth 25 billion. It is all kept on the grounds of his foundation, a school and Arboretum in lower Marion Pennsylvania. After getting burned* by the city of Philadelphia and the art world he took great pains to ensure that his collection would not fall into the hands of the elite who didn’t GET IT and would try to profit from it but be it’s own thing. It’s own special American treasure, in a house made to display it, seen the way he intended it to be seen. This movie is about how in the end he didn’t get what he wanted.
Everyone in the documentary is either really corrupt and transparent or really mad. Some have a more calm, bottled mad than others but all are pissed. One guy yells “PHILISTINE!” at a city of Philly person during a protest which made my palm and forehead meet.
After watching I signed some online petitions and joined their facebook page but it feels like spitting in the ocean (or other metaphor about uselessness). It’s outrageous that there’s only 1,700 facebook members! Hey facebook, remember when we resurrected Betty White’s career? It was great and all and she’s awesome but every time I see a trailer for You Again I wonder if all those ‘likes’ could have served some higher purpose.
*figuratively
