America's Heart and Soul

Shortly after preventing its subsidiary Miramax from releasing Fahrenheit 9/11, the Disney company put out this pretty but platitudinous paean to American freedom and diversity in which rarely, if ever, is heard a discouraging word. Louis Schwartzberg's America's Heart and Soul is a resolutely upbeat documentary that serves up roughly two dozen vignettes apparently designed to depict life's rich pageant in the U.S. (but it's a very selective portrait of the national anatomy, from which the warts have been systematically removed). Although the episodes cover a geographical span from sea to shining sea, all are patently calculated to inspire in viewers an appreciation of the combined power of freedom and pluck in realizing one's dreams, and while a few segments are devoted to public figures, most deal with “regular” folk who are all special, particularly physically-challenged people who have overcome adversity in some remarkable fashion. There's nothing terribly wrong with this well-made piece of patriotic propaganda, but apart from the excellent visuals, the picture isn't appreciably superior to the personality-based panegyrics that are commonplace in educational films and late night TV fare. An optional purchase. [Note: DVD extras include both widescreen and full screen versions, audio commentary by filmmaker Louis Schwartzberg, the nine-minute "making-of" featurette “In Search of America's Heart & Soul,” 11 minutes of four extended musical performances, and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a somewhat schmaltzy feel-good documentary.] (F. Swietek)