EL SEGUNDO HERALD October 8, 2020 Page 5
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Entertainment
Film Review
Dick Johnson is Dead is a Darkly
Humorous Dedication to Dad
By Morgan Rojas for Cinemacy.com
Why do we give our love to another person
when we just end up alone in the end? This
hypothetical question has stumped lovers,
poets, and philosophers for years but I believe
it comes down to this one reason: we love
because that’s the only way to live.
Award-winning documentarian Kirsten
Johnson (Cameraperson) shows that loving
wholeheartedly may be painful but the
reward of being vulnerable and sharing your
life with another person far outweighs the
eventual heartache of losing them in her
most personal film yet, Dick Johnson is
Dead. After seeing the mental decline of
her aging father, Kirsten suggested making
a film about him dying. In her unique way,
she works through her emotional hang-ups
and the not-so-distant reality of his death by
enacting hilariously absurd death scenarios. To
execute this, she enlists her 86-years-young,
retired psychiatrist father, Dick Johnson, to
play himself.
The surreal fantasy moments are sprinkled
in throughout an otherwise emotional and
at times, heartbreaking, storyline. Dick’s
memory continues to decline as the film
progresses and Kirsten captures it all on
camera. The laughter, the tears, the struggles,
the chocolate cake. With Dick Johnson is
Dead, Kirsten has created a darkly humorous
awakening to the reality of death and
the impact we all leave behind when we’re
gone. One of the most powerful moments
comes from Dick’s “funeral,” where a group
of his family and friends -who knowingly
participated in this mock service- are gathered
to reminisce about his impact on their lives.
And even though Dick Johnson is alive and
well, watching from a peephole behind the
door, half of the room is in tears. That’s the
power of love.
I couldn’t help but think about my dad
while watching Dick Johnson is Dead. I’m
so lucky to have such a close relationship
with him and my worst fear is the thought of
losing him one day. But I keep coming back
to this quote from the film, “What loving
demands is that we face the fear of losing
each other.” Love greatly, without regrets,
because we only get one chance.
And at 2:56 pm, as soon as the film ended
and I closed out of the Netflix press screener
browser, my dad texted me asking when I
was going to come over and visit.
Dick Johnson is Dead is now streaming
on Netflix. •
Dick Johnson is Dead, courtesy of Netflix.
Morgan Rojas
Burkley Brandlin
BBS & Swatik LLP
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