Linefork

Filmmakers Jeff Silva and Vic Rawlings's observational documentary focuses on an elderly couple going about their daily routine in the Eastern Kentucky town of Linefork. Although it isn't obvious at first, Lee Sexton, now in his 90s, is a notable banjo player and teacher, but the filmmakers concentrate primarily on his life as a retired miner-turned-farmer (Sexton appeared as a background player in Coal Miner's Daughter). By day, he feeds the chickens and tills the land of his birthplace. During his off hours, he watches daytime TV and chews tobacco (the spitting scenes are fairly revolting), while his wife, Opal—who adds the word "honey" to every sentence—cooks, cleans, and works on word puzzles. Linefork is mostly comprised of a series of long takes; in one scene, for instance, a small dog chained in their backyard jumps on and off a cinder block repeatedly, frustrated because he can't play with the other dogs in a nearby pen. In his unique vernacular, Lee describes him as "the hatefulest dog there ever was," but praises the dog’s ability to scare deer away from their garden. At other times, Lee and Opal go grocery shopping, visit a thrift shop, and work on paying their bills. Nothing of any particular import takes place, yet Linefork is never dull, possibly because the Sextons’ way of life has a calm, repetitive rhythm and their accents are so musical that it's almost as if they are speaking a foreign language. Ultimately, the film is more a portrait of a marriage than a musician. Opal may have less to say, but she's always there by Lee's side, finishing his thoughts and sentences, the way people who have been happily married for decades tend to do. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)