45365 Is a Reminder that Life Can Be Gentle (Independent Lens, Tuesday, December 14)
There is an America that millions of Americans have never seen. Denizens of cities, suburbia, and exurbia have heard of this America, but many don’t know it still exists. Not in real life, not in the here and now.
It is an America where the high school football team gathers together to pray “The Lord’s Prayer” before a game, where the most important subject is the weather, and where the policemen know the people with whom they deal, no matter on what side of the law those people are found. In this America, the county fair is a big event, kids belong to 4H and raise livestock, and big discussions among boys determine which carny rides are all right.
Having lived in the suburbs of New York City for most of my life, I didn’t know this other America existed. What we suburbanites considered a small town would be a bustling metropolis in comparison to Sidney, Ohio, the subject of first-time directors Bill Ross IV and Turner Ross’s 45365. Ironically, Sidney is pretty much a metropolis compared to where I now happily find myself.
There are 20,000 people residing in Sidney, Ohio (ZIP Code 45365), and they are a kaleidoscope of humanity. There are cops and suspects, kids TPing trees on Cabbage Night, a dad singing “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” with his toddler, girls talking to and about their boyfriends, a bride and groom getting ready for their ceremony, senior citizen chicks gossiping about guys, a parade, and so much more.
The filmmakers didn’t interview the residents of 45365, they simply recorded life as it happened over a nine-month period, editing it down to an hour that seems over as soon as it starts, it all moves that quickly (life is like that, too, isn’t it?). Despite our short visit to Sidney, we feel a familiarity with the people there from observing them in their everyday lives, no matter how brief their time on-camera is.
Sidney, Ohio, is the Ross brothers’ home town¸ and 45365 is an affectionate, respectful portrait of one American way of life. It will be shown on PBS, Tuesday, December 14, at 10 p.m. Viewers are advised to check their local listings.
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