Review of Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008) by Mae T — 07 Jul 2015

*Spoilers*.

"Zachary, you'll never know what you missed.".

"Dear Zachary" is a powerful film. I'm not just saying this because of the subject matter either. If you know what the film is about, you'll know it's a very sad, depressing, and horrible tale. And since this film is a documentary, it's far too awful to face the horror that this film covers. So, you can't insult a film like this, at least that's what a lot of people most likely think. The subject matter of films like "Schindler's List" and other documentaries like "Bully" and "The Bridge" make it seem very hard to explain the flaws of the films, so you feel inclined to just admit they're excellent. "Dear Zachary" is not a great movie solely because of its subject matter.

Documentaries can be made about anything by anyone. All you need is a camera and a topic. Kurt Kuenne, the film's director, after the death of his best friend Andrew Bagby, set out to make this movie. He wanted to go across America and film all of the things people had to say about Andrew, coming from all of the people he touched. It began as this, but as Kurt says in the film, it took on a whole new meaning. You see, Andrew was brutally murdered by his ex-girlfriend Shirley, and during the trial, she announced she was pregnant with Andrew's child, who she named Zachary.

The film then was intended to be for Zachary to watch when he was old enough, to know about his father and all the wonderful things and he did and the wonderful people he knew. The film is wonderfully made in that sense, everyone is honest about Andrew, and it gives the audience an amazing idea of what he was like. It's haunting, touching and sad, and one of the rare films that will connect the audience so well with its central focus.

The film also serves as exposure to flaws in the justice system. Shirley fled to Canada after the murder, where she was released on bail, and able to "get on with her life" according to Judge Gail Welsh. Andrew's parents are the main speakers of the film, and they discuss their battle to get custody of Zachary. At some points, Shirley allowed him to live with them. The resemblance between Andrew and Zachary is strong, and you see the happiness in Kate and David Bagby.

Kurt's film took on a whole new meaning, like I said before. His last stop on his trip was at the Bagby's home, to meet Zachary. It's a very touching moment in the film, to know what everyone has been through, and to really get to know the family. One thing that makes this film so great is its passion. It's made about the loss of a loved one, so the thought, time and effort put into it is masterful. It's a memorial, and a very very great and powerful one.

To further explain the story, Shirley, while Zachary was STILL in her care, took his life and her own. It's one of the saddest things you'll see in your life, especially because it's after we've already gotten to know and care for the Bagby's. The most disturbing thing was knowing that this could've been prevented. Instead of giving up, David and Kate became activists, and David wrote a book called "Dance with the Devil".

So yes, "Dear Zachary" is incredibly sad, touching, and haunting. It's great not just because it has sad subject matter, but it's great because it's passionately made and wonderfully put together. You'll really care for the Bagby's and about their story. I continue to learn more about them each day and I'm curious to see their success in their activism. Please watch the film, even if you don't like being sad. As I say, this story is more important than my sadness. It's worth being told and it really needs to be shown.

I give all my love and support to the Bagby family.