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6 of 7 found the following review helpful:
Love the soap, now we know its history better Mar 15, 2008
By John Chang
"JC"
If you've ever went camping or trekking and sat around the camp with time on your hands, the Dr. B's soap bottle is interesting read. Until I watched this DVD, didn't know what was the motivation behind those words. This is a story from the long line of genius/eccentrics mistaken for lunatics, and how the lucky escape brought about a huge positive for the world--a cohesive philosophy, product, and company in the best sense of the environmental movement. The story behind the father-sons relationship is very touching, and effectively humanizes (humorously in some parts, to boot) this film. The word concept that came to my mind as I watched Dr. B spoke: metaphysical -kinetic.
2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
 Outstanding Aug 07, 2009
By Joshua Wolf Shenk
"Joshua Wolf Shenk"
An astonishing film about a remarkable family. Sara Lamm has done more than document the strange journey of the Bronners and their iconic soap. She's created a heartful meditation on madness & vision, meaning & legacy, and how to make a damned difference in this world.
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
More, please. Aug 06, 2009
By The Walrus
I went and saw this film because I wanted to know what the jargon on the bottle was all about. I came away with a lot of questions, and this is the sort of film I enjoy. The film provided me with a general study of the man behind the words as well as his son, Ralph, who took over the business. Don't expect a studio production. This woman hit the road with a video camera in search of some answers, and I think she did a great job. Also, I loved the weird piano man scene. That's the kind of thing that gets me on a filmmaker's side. I think it spoke nicely to the sort of psychological wounds the film deals with. What's this lady doing next? Anyone know?
2 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Moral ABC's - You'll Learn That Phrase Jul 10, 2009
By Daniel G. Lebryk
This is an unusual documentary. It holds your attention pretty well for the first 45 minutes. Round that 45 minute mark (halfway) and all of a sudden there's a ton of repitition. I got very tired of hearing Dr. Bronner repeat the Moral ABC's and One God For All phrase.
Now, I wish that Amazon had some ability to format reviews, because this review deserves to be in a bright blue block with white type and at 7 point. How fun would that be to read?
So, if you have used the Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap - the pepermint or lavendar castile soap - and, like me, spent an hour in the bathtub reading that white 7 point type on a blue background; you must be dying to know more about this mythical Dr. Bronner and his company. Well you are overly served with this documentary. The director, Sara Lamm, did a wonderful job of capturing the genius / insanity behind the corporation. She is clearly in awe of what the Bronner's have accomplished.
My complaint about this film, the story line is horribly disjointed. There doesn't seem to be a begining and an end; it just sort of wanders all over Dr. Bronner's life; tossing in childhood one moment, grandchildren the next, adulthood next, and then children another. After watching this film, I'm hard pressed to tell you Dr. Bronner's life history.
The great part about this film - this is a company that genuinely cares about doing the right thing, which translated into success. The Bronner company does some magnificent things - fast forward to the last chapter of the DVD, 4 minutes left. The things they do is remarkable (70% of net profits are given to charity; no executive of the company makes more than 5 times the salary of the lowest paid vested worker) - now that's putting your money where your mouth is. The DVD bonus feature, an interview with one of the grandsons 2 years after the filming is wonderful. Bottom line, this company was doing things many years ago that are just now seen as important.
The strange thing about this film, it's not a very good film or documentary. It's almost as if a fanboy was star struck by the company and wanted to make something that holds it way up on high. Bronner was a zealout that ignored his family for a higher cause. We hear that, its told to us; but it isn't explored very deeply. The children, especially Ralph, spend a lot of time on camera nattering on about not much. The grandchildren were the really intelligent ones, and should have been on camera much more. At one point a woman named Gladys is interviewed and talks about some odd things. Later on, we find out that was Dr. Bronner's 4th wife. Out of the blue, no context, no what happened to number 2, and 3 (we know number 1 died shortly after the children were born)? And then Gladys joins the nattering about not a lot.
I love the company. I love the product. I love what it stands for (work hard and you will earn a fair wage). I'm not such a huge fan of the One God For All concept, but even there, he has the right idea - everyone united to a common cause of making the planet spaceship better. I'm certain that Sara Lamm meant well in making this documentary. Sorry, she just got the film and story telling side of things a lot off.
An hour and 28 minutes long, jump the last 6 chapters and 1 hour is just right. The movie is not rated, and is PG, actually probably more like G rated. There's no strong language, no violence, no nudity, no sensual moments simulated or otherwise, and no subversive ideas (I'm just now watching This Film Is Not Yet Rated). Oh I guess there is a 20 second moment where a woman talks about using the soap for an enema and female cleansing, in mostly those terms. Ah, and lest I forget, Ralph meets up with a long haired piano player that invites him to his room to play some music and smoke an *herbal* cigarette (they used the real terminology) and discuss the use of herbs. But nobody ever does any of those things. But according to our lovely friend the MPAA, this film would have probably gotten an R rating for that one exchange about drug use.
The DVD includes a couple of bonus features. The interview with one of the grandchildren is a must see, 17 minutes.
Worth watching if you've read the label.
The Story Behind The Man May 10, 2012
By Daniel Hucks
For the children of the 60's, this gives the story behind bath tub status symbol. As the movie shows, I know the sayings on the labels were great reads and we used the soap or everything- showers, hair, handwashing, dishes, whatever had to be washed. Bronner was a really quirky individual and the movie gives an objective look at his life.
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