Dear Zachary

A documentary about the filmmaker's longtime friend, who was murdered by his crazy older girlfriend. (No one really explains why he was dating a crazy, older woman in the first place. Whatever, go with it.) The film features interviews with the friend's friends, so we see a picture of him as a person. It also details what ensues when the killer flees to Canada and announces she's pregnant with his baby. What happens next is better left unsaid, like the film "Million Dollar Baby." Suffice it to say, the film stands as a testament to what grandparents will do for their grandchildren.

I do have some quibbles, though. The subject matter is compelling; I cried at the end, several different times. Which makes the filmmaker's heavy-handed techniques criticizing Canada and the killer backfire. Simple narration would do; we don't need soapbox antics. Also, the film at times feels a bit too personal, almost like "Tarnation," to the point where it may be relevant and meaningful for those who knew him, but not for us.