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| Tweet Topic Started: Jun 11 2006, 06:47 AM (320 Views) | |
| Dewey | Jun 11 2006, 06:47 AM Post #1 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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There's a new documentary that has just come out via Netflix, called "The Bituminous Coal Queens of Pennsylvania." Apparently, it documents the process of the Coal Queen pageant, part of the "King Coal Festival" in southwestern Pennsylvania. The festival is a weeklong celebration honoring the tradition and lore of coal mining in what used to be called the "Klondike" coal region - formerly a very rich coal field that at one time included the largest and most productive coal mine in the world. Today, there are still some mines operating, but the surviving remnant of the industry couldn't even be called a shadow of its former self. Still, there are many miners, and even more importantly, a great (and justified) sense of pride in the history of the miners and the mines, and their contribution to American society and progress throughout the 20th century. The King Coal Festival honors those people and achievements. The festival is centered in the small town of Carmichaels, about five miles away from my own home town. Its parade was one of the adjudicated competitions that my high school's marching band regularly competed in (and I assume, still does). Part of the festival is the pageant that this film documents. A dozen or so of the local high schools, including mine, would select a contestant to compete for the title of Coal Queen. I think the winner received some scholarship money, IIRC. The film was produced by Patricia Heaton (from "Raymond"), her husband, David Hunt, and the actress Sarah Rush, who grew up in the area and was herself a former Coal Queen (she is also a fellow alumnus of the Penn State/Beam Hall/Arts & Architecture Interest House, along with me). We were discussing joining Netflix the other day, and I just saw Heaton talking about this documentary on television this morning. I suppose it will be one of our first Netflix selections. Honestly, I'm a little concerned about the movie. I'm worried that it's another example of a bunch of elitist left-coasters coming in and poking fun at a bunch of people that they don't really understand, and whom they consider a bunch of backward, stupid hicks. I'm worried that it's going to be a snarky attack and exploitation of some really decent, hardworking people and their local culture, which despite my years of separation from them, I still hold dear to my own heart. I've been to many King Coal Festivals. I've marched in the parades. I've been to its decidedly small-town carnival. I've cheered on Dad and his fellow firefighters as they took on some other town's fire department in the "Battle of the Barrel" - a sort of reverse tug of war where firefighters try to push a beer keg, suspended on a cable overhead, past their opponent's goal line, by hitting it with a stream of water from a firehose (I'm not sure they still do this, but they used to). I've been friends of Coal Queen candidates, and even danced with an actual Coal Queen or two. And I've shared in the lives, struggles, frustrations and joys of being a part of this place and culture. I hope my fears turn out to be baseless. I hope it turns out to actually be a good documentary that respects my friends and the local culture that, regardless of where I call home, will always be an important part of who I am. I'll let you know what I think once we see it. |
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"By nature, i prefer brevity." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, p. 685. "Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." - Anonymous "Oh sure, every once in a while a turd floated by, but other than that it was just fine." - Joe A., 2011 I'll answer your other comments later, but my primary priority for the rest of the evening is to get drunk." - Klaus, 12/31/14 | |
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| sue | Jun 11 2006, 08:58 AM Post #2 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I hope so too. Well done, accurate, movies like this are so vital to the rest of us. They are a chance to get a glimpse into a different culture/lifestyle, and to appreciate it for what it is, and why it is. Hopefully, if the producers are indeed from the area, they are planning on a sensitive depiction. Do let us know how it is. |
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| Mikhailoh | Jun 11 2006, 10:24 AM Post #3 |
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If you want trouble, find yourself a redhead
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I love seeing regional American culture, while it still exists. Dewey, the subject does appear to be treated well, per the website: http://www.coalqueens.com |
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Once in his life, every man is entitled to fall madly in love with a gorgeous redhead - Lucille Ball | |
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| Dewey | Jun 11 2006, 11:44 AM Post #4 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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I read that too, Mik - but I'm reserving judgment till I see it. The fact that Rush is a native (and personal opinions of her from mutual dorm friends from college days), gives me hope. Incidentally, one of the pages on that site has a b/w still photo background of a fence, with a row of hard hats nailed to the top of each post (I just noticed, there's a color photo of it in the gallery). I had to laugh when I saw it; we drive by it quite often while we're back there. |
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"By nature, i prefer brevity." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, p. 685. "Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." - Anonymous "Oh sure, every once in a while a turd floated by, but other than that it was just fine." - Joe A., 2011 I'll answer your other comments later, but my primary priority for the rest of the evening is to get drunk." - Klaus, 12/31/14 | |
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| Shammy | Jun 11 2006, 11:50 AM Post #5 |
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Middle Aged Carp
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I'm glad to find out this is a good film. When I first saw the title... I thought maybe RuPaul had moved to Klondike and made a movie. |
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I'd rather fall into chocolate. | |
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| Dewey | Jun 13 2006, 11:17 AM Post #6 |
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HOLY CARP!!!
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Well, this movie just came in the mail. I didn't have any appointments, and I was anxious to see it, so I sat down and popped it in. I don't know if I can really judge the true quality of the film as a documentary. A lot of it may just be too close to home for me to see the film in anywhere near an impartial light. One of the very first scenes in the film is a view of crossing the old steel truss bridge over the Monongahela River that separates Masontown, my own home town, and Carmichaels, the town that hosts the festival; and the view of the adjacent Hatfield's Ferry power plant. To anyone else watching the movie, it's just a quick scene of crossing a nondescript old bridge. To me, it instantly brought back a memory of Dad, my brothers and I walking across this bridge years ago, and all but dragging our dog, who was terrified of walking across it (I was almost as scared). It brought back memories of walking down to the river's edge underneath it as a kid, and fishing, and basically being a kid. Watching the riverboats pushing coal barges up and down the river. Even the power plant itself brought back memories. This plant is the view from the rear of the house that I called home most of my youth, and tha house that Mom still lives in. It was the source of a continual childhood chore - sweeping and washing away all the flyash from the plant that settled all over deck, patio, and cars. I remember as a kid of maybe nine or 10, getting a tour of that plant, stepping out on some steel-grated catwalk, and having my knees give out from fear of the height. Hearing all the notices being broadcast over the PA system. Being scared witless over the deafening roar from when they diverted the steam from the turbines, and out into the air (I can't describe it; it's something you've either heard, and felt, up-close or you'll never quite understand). Summer nights with no air conditioning and open windows, falling asleep to the sound of the plant, or from the coal mine just around a bend in the river. To anyone just watching the movie, they see just another stretch of rural road, or a generic hillside. To me, it's the Peavarnik farm; it's that stretch of road where I ran over that bucket of paint when I was 17; it's the field next to so-and-so's "Mail Pouch" barn. It's not just some generic roadside; it's a specific place on a specific road, that I'm instantly transported to when I see the picture. It's the road home. To others watching the film, the trip into the mine is just an interesting diversion. To me, it brought back memories of several mining relatives, including one who was president of the union local at the nearby Robena mine for a number of years. To others watching the film, the pageant is staged in just another aging old small-town theater. To me, it's the old State Theater, one of two theaters in nearby Uniontown. Before we could drive, my friends and I would take one of Mr. Mockibob's old school busses, and travel the 12 miles to catch a movie. A theater that still had ushers - one of my favorites had that pointy black hairstyle that earned him the nickname "Eddie Munster." We'd sit in the first row of the balcony, and quite a few times we "accidentally" spilled our popcorn on him as he stood in the cross aisle just below us. The theater that in the early '70's still had (and maybe still does) an advertisement, from Vaudeville days, painted on a sidewall for "Ernie and his Band." The theater that, years later, I was blessed to have heard Ray Charles perform in. The theater where I first held a girl's hand. The theater where I got my first "real kiss." And at the end of the movie, we'd hustle back to the bus stop and ride home in the dark, holding hands and tossing Jujubes at Mr. Ray, the bus driver. Anyone else watching the film might think the very distinct accent of the people living there a bit odd. Over the years, I've fought hard to minimize that accent in my own speech, but I'm secretly glad that I was never completely successful in doing so. It was really nice to see these familiar places, and hear the stories of the contestants and their families. To see the street fair. To see the reception at the fire hall, scene of no small number of crashed wedding receptions. To see one of the former queens, a girl that one of my brothers briefly dated. to see the lineup for the parade, and my own high school's band marching by. Watching this movie was sweetness. I thought the documentary was great. But so much of my enjoyment of it came from memories that it brought back; mental images of places and people long gone that the movie brought back to life for me personally. In one of the first scenes, Sarah Rush shows that she keeps a piece of bituminous coal in her home in California. I share in that special fraternity; I keep a lump of it on my dresser here in Ohio, too. If you think that's weird, well, maybe it is - but you'll never really understand if you didn't grow up in southwestern Pennsylvania, and have family in the coal industry. In one of the final scenes, Sarah gives a tearful explanaiton that regardless of the fact that she lives, and loves, her life in California, that some of her heart will always remain there in southwestern Pennsylvania. And in that regard, I know exactly what she means. I couldn't possibly tell you whether you'd enjoy this film or not. I think you will. But I definitely think you should give it a try. |
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"By nature, i prefer brevity." - John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, p. 685. "Never waste your time trying to explain yourself to people who are committed to misunderstanding you." - Anonymous "Oh sure, every once in a while a turd floated by, but other than that it was just fine." - Joe A., 2011 I'll answer your other comments later, but my primary priority for the rest of the evening is to get drunk." - Klaus, 12/31/14 | |
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| big al | Jun 13 2006, 12:38 PM Post #7 |
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Bull-Carp
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I'm pretty sure I'll enjoy seeing this. I'll just have to track it down since I'm not a Netflix subscriber. I definitely enjoyed reading your review, Dewey. I went to IMDB to see if they had any further links to sources (I couldn't find it on Amazon) and didn't find any. I did find a few comments that amplify your judgment (look here: IMDB User Comments) [Edit]I perused the website that Mik furnished the link to a little more closely and found out that the movie is a Netflix premier (never knew there was such a thing) and will be released for sale later this year.[/Edit] Big Al |
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Location: Western PA "jesu, der simcha fun der man's farlangen." -bachophile | |
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