Stray Dog

Debra Granik's PBS-aired Independent Lens documentary focuses on a Vietnam vet trying to make a good life for himself and the people around him. Ron "Stray Dog" Hall, who appeared in Granik's fiction film Winter's Bone, manages an RV park in Branson, MO, sharing a double-wide with his Mexican wife, Alicia, and their little dogs. He's studying Spanish so the couple can understand each other better. Hall sees a therapist to deal with the guilt he feels about his actions in Vietnam. Granik follows him on a trip by motorcycle to Washington, D.C., with Alicia. Along the way, they attend veterans gatherings where he swaps stories with other vets. At the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Hall looks for the names of soldiers with whom he served. Afterward, he attends a family reunion where he encourages his granddaughter to apply to college. For their last trip, Hall and Alicia travel to Mexico to collect her 19-year-old twins, Angel and Jesús, helping them relocate to the U.S. Even though it's clear that an adjustment to small-town America won't be easy for the teens after years in Mexico City, Granik's sympathetic profile gives the impression that Hall will do what he can to smooth the way. An engaging portrait of an interesting American character, this is recommended. Aud: C, P. (K. Fennessy)