I'm With Phil

Andrew Reed's Philm—er, film—isn't the first rumination about different people sharing the same name (see The Sweetest Sound, reviewed in VL Online-2/02), but it does have the virtue of draping the conceit on an actual plot. While still a college student, aspiring journalist Phil Campbell was charmed that an Alabama town happened to be named "Phil Campbell," and in 1995 he drew 22 other Phil Campbells (plus a Phyllis Campbell) to the place, starting a little ritual that went on for a few years. In 2011, a much older, wiser, and oft-published Phil Campbell is based in Brooklyn (one of his books is being made into a movie, 2012's Grassroots). Phil decides to resume the Phil Campbell namesake gathering for the Alabama town's annual hoedown (gaining greater attention with a more novelty-hungry media). But then, on April 27, a tornado devastates Phil Campbell, AL, and what began as a goof of "significant insignificance" instead becomes a push to raise money and aid, during which “Brooklyn Phil” learns that Parade magazine write-ups don't necessarily translate into material donations. An entertaining, real-life dramedy about good deeds and the limits of charity, this offbeat documentary is recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)