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Babies Trailer

The trailer for the documentary Babies looks absolutely fascinating. I’m not one on seeing documentaries in the theater, but I’d actually look for this one on April 16, 2010 when it’s released. Unfortunately, I’m sure it will only play in Nashville (which isn’t too far away), but having two kids, it might as well be a state away.

Still, the idea of following four newborns from four different cultures for a year is such a cool concept. You see the differences right away in the trailer as a goat casually drinks from the bath of the Mongolian baby. It will be interesting to see how different cultures treat their newborns.

I know that when Riley was born (our second son), our parenting approach was vastly different than it was with our first son Carter. I’ll admit, that we were too protective of Carter. As first time parents, I think that’s only natural. You don’t know what to expect, so you tend to be too cautious.

Because of this, Riley is a much more adventurous toddler than Carter. He’s absolutely not afraid of anything or any situation and will plow headfirst into any obstacle – and we let him. He can already climb by himself into the playhouse in the yard and slide down the slide. Mind you, this playhouse is on top of 4 foot posts, so it’s a good climb and a tall slide. Riley gets dirtier, plays rougher, and even eats things we wouldn’t let Carter touch until he was older (carrot sticks). A lot of this has to do with Carter as well. Having a brother that’s 4 years older, Riley thinks he can do whatever Carter can – and most times he does.

Just this past week we visited my sister’s house and Carter and his 4-year old cousin were having a pillow fight. Right in the middle, slinging his own pillow, was Riley. I wouldn’t change anything we’ve done – because we’ve got two wonderful boys.

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Confessions of a Superhero looks like a fascinating documentary. Here’s the summary from the movie’s myspace page:

CONFESSIONS OF A SUPERHERO is a feature length documentary chronicling the lives of four mortal men and women who work as characters on the sidewalks of Hollywood Boulevard. This deeply personal view into their daily routine reveals the hardships, and triumphs, that these characters endure in pursuit of becoming famous. The Hulk sold his supernintendo for a bus ticket to LA, Wonder Woman was the homecoming queen, Batman struggles with his anger, and Superman is consumed with the character he portrays. The Walk of Fame may be right beneath their feet, but their path to Stardom is a long, hard climb. Explore the fascination, obsession, and allure of fame, through the eyes of some very unique people struggling to make it in Tinseltown.

Documentaries are such a mixed bag. They require a good balance between an interesting subject and quirky characters. If you veer too far off one path, you risk losing the audience. Seeing this trailer reminded how much I like the work of documentary duo Bruce Sinofsky and Joe Berlinger. Hoping to find a new film I had not heard about, it seems the pair have not made a documentary film since 2004’s Metallica: Some Kind of Monster. The Paradise Lost films are the ones that introduced them to a wide audience, but for a great look into another person’s life, I’d highly recommend Brother’s Keeper.