Review of Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father (2008) by Chad H — 17 Nov 2010

Dear Zachary is not just a documentary. It is so much more than that. It's a memoir of a man that many people loved, and the story of what happened to him and the events that followed. It's an incredibly emotional affair, and I'm majorly understating that fact.

Andrew Bagby was a man who met and befriended many people growing up and on into medical school and his career as a doctor. Everyone he ever met and touched had extremely positive things to say about him, and it's safe to say he was loved by everyone. On November 5, 2001, his ex-girlfriend shot him five times after he broke up with her. She fled the country to Canada and revealed a few months later that she was pregnant with his child. When he was born, she named him Zachary. This film is collection of memories and memoirs of Andrew's family and friends and an account of what his parents experienced to gain custody of the child, and ultimately is made for this child.

To call this film emotional is a severe understatement. There were numerous scenes where I cried like a little baby. And when I wasn't crying, I was furious about the things that occurred. The range of emotions touched here is incredible. Props to the director for that.

It's amazing how much the director, a personal friend of Andrew, was able collect about this man. After watching this movie, I feel like I knew him myself, and I would have loved to meet this man at least once. And because of this I think the film becomes even more powerful. All of a sudden it becomes personal, despite the fact that you probably never met the guy, or even heard of him until you started the movie.

Another thing this film does so well is the fact that it shows how one person can positively affect hundreds, even thousands of people. Andrew's influence and positive energy is felt with every friend interviewed in the film. It's remarkable. But it also shows the other end of that, which is how much taking away that one man can affect so many people.

One of the things many documentaries can get wrong is not showing both sides of a story. This film is an exception. The only other side to this story is that of the woman who killed him, Shirley Turner. She doesn't deserve for her side to be shared, and that's because there isn't one. There is no way to justify her actions at all. The film condemns her and makes her out to be absolutely evil, and I do not blame them.

The last half hour is just the worst part. If you've heard about this story a few years ago, you know what happened, hell you can probably google it. But I will not spoil it here because it hit me like Mike Tyson took a shot at my gut. It's the most effective part of the film and will reduce you to a mixture of anger, tears, and grief.

Dear Zachary is a completely emotional journey that everyone should take. It's a lovingly crafted memoir about a man that loved and was loved by so many. I've criticized movies before for intentionally being emotional, but this is not just a movie. This is real life, and real life is emotional. So watch Dear Zachary. Cry your guts out. And make sure you tell someone, anyone you're close to, that you love them. Because you never know when they'll be gone.