CINEMA VERITE

US, 2011, 90 minutes, Colour.
Diane Lane, Tim Robbins, James Gandolfini, Thomas Decker, Patrick Fugit, Lolita Davidovich.
Directed by Shari Springer Berman, Robert Pulcini.


Cinéma Vérité is an interesting HBO film for television. The premise is the origin of Reality Television in 1971.

James Gandolfini portrays Craig Gilbert, a successful documentary maker who pitches the idea to television executives in 1971 of having a series focusing on an actual American family. He scouts in California and chooses the Loud family, Patty the mother, Bill the father and five children. Ultimately, they agree to the experiment.

Diane Lane is Patty, Tim Robbins is Bill and Thomas Decker is the oldest son, Lance, a rather flamboyant gay young man, especially for this period.

Everything is set up in the Loud home, with Patrick Fugit as the cameraman.

In many ways, the development of the series goes as expected – and as Craig Gilbert hoped. However, the cameraman has ethical scruples in filming some of the sequences, hesitating but told to get to work by his boss. In the meantime, the executives look at the material but want some action.

Patty and Bill have been married for 22 years. It emerges that he is a philanderer and she has been very patient. The children are devoted to their father, Lance going off to New York to stay at the Chelsea Hotel immersing him in the gay culture. Two boys want to form a band and what the littlest girl loves horseriding.

There are scenes of Patty visiting Lance in New York, a lot of homes sequences, but Bill is more and more absent, having relationships, especially with the dress shop owner, Lolita Davidovich. This builds up to a climax, Patty being interviewed alone about her situation, her wanting to break the marriage with Bill privately, urging one of her sons to explain the situation to him but he can’t. This means that the ultimate confrontation is on film.

Subsequently, Patty and Bill go on television programs, especially, as seen here, the Dick Cavett Show with a fightback about the intrusion into their privacy. Craig Gilbert did not film again. The final credits have photos of the actual characters and an explanation of what happened to them – with Lance dying of HIV in 2001 but wanting his parents to come back together, which they do.


1. The significance of “Reality Television� since the 1970s? Origins? Now all-pervasive?

2. Television at the beginning of the 1970s, executives reluctant about the experiment and expense for Reality Television? The investment, filming, the editing? The issue of intrusion into people’s lives and privacy? Finding drama and conflict? The response of audiences?

3. The excerpts from the actual television series, the Loud family, the interviews, the scenes? The information about the consequences of the program? The final information and pictures of each member of the family and the explanation of their subsequent careers?

4. The visual style of the film, the highlighting of television programs, framing, titles? The reality of the producer, the camera team in the house, the setup? The filming of the family? The audience watching the filming of the filming? And the disputes between cameraman and producer? The ethical issues?

5. Craig Gilbert, his personality, making documentaries? His interest in filming and American Family? His play with the executives? His seeking out of a family, his friend, meeting Patty Loud? The discussions, her being persuaded? The discussions with Bill? The discussions with all the children? Gilbert and his motivations, friendliness with Patty, the visits, the discussions, giving her information about Bill? His argument with the executives? His wanting drama, his choosing the Loud family for his own agenda? The clash with the cameraman? The final product, its success – but the last film that he made?

6. Patty Loud, Diane Lanes performance? 22 years of marriage, California, the number of children, bringing them up? Her relationship with her husband, his work, being away? Her place in Santa Barbara, neighbours, friends, Val and the affair? Her agreement? The involvement of her brother and his wife, their supportive presence of the time of the breakup?

7. Bill, his personality, the marriage, away, his work, relationships, the filing cabinets and the files of photos of women? Interviewing starlets? Promising work? His relationship
with Val – and their both being sunburnt? His agreement to the program?

8. The various children, Lance, flamboyant style, going to New York, his partner, the Chelsea Hotel and his mother’s visit, taking her to the drag show? The plan to go to Paris, patronage, the audition and his singing on the piano? His return home? The family acceptance of his homosexuality or not? The television audience and homophobia?

9. The boys, the band, practice, their hopes? The girls, younger, horse riding? The relationship of the children to their mother? To their father?

10. The cameraman and his wife, setting up the house, the flashbacks to their marriage, ethical stances, the clashes with Craig Gilbert? His ordering them back, their assistant?

11. The various domestic scenes, ordinariness? Patty and her visit to New York City, the Chelsea Hotel, the drag show and her reaction, wary about her husband knowing? Bill and the discussions at home, smiling, always going away on business, Patty hoping that he would be home for the show?

12. The surfacing of the tensions, Craig Gilbert knowing this, Patty and her exasperation, her meeting with Val, the other evidence about her husband’s affairs, unlocking the filing cabinet? Craig and his giving her information? Her decision to go public, telling the children privately, hoping that Grant would pick up his father at the airport and tell him, his not doing this? The filming of the discussion, Bill, surprised, moving to the hotel, the room already booked?

13. The interview with Patty, her deciding that this would be valuable for American audiences, American women, explaining her situation and the 22 years of marriage? His failure? Her children?

14. The television programs of the time, especially the Dick Cavett Show and the commentary? Having the family all together, the interviews? The meetings, the decisions to fight back, the various programs, books? The showing of the actual couple and family along with the actors in the film? The subsequent history, Lance and his dying of HIV and his wish that the family get together again? The business successes of the children, of Patty and her writing, Bill? And their getting back to live together?

15. Audience interest in Reality Television – and its influence on viewers over almost 50 years?