Movie Review: Dear Zachary - A Letter to a Son About His Father

Above all, no matter what else it is, Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father is an emotional journey. It pulls your heart out, twists your insides, punches you in the stomach, and everything else along those lines. This isn't always because of the film itself, but because the subject matter is so inherently tragic.

It's hard to discuss the movie without spoiling — as much as an actual event can be spoiled — the aspects that will leave you gutted. Still, the surface story isn't exactly hugs and puppies: Dr. Andrew Bagby was murdered by his psychotic ex-girlfriend Shirley Turner. His family and friends, including documentarian Kurt Kuenne, were understandably horrified. But there was another shock yet to come, as it was later revealed that Shirley was four months pregnant with Andrew's child.

When Kuenne discovered this, he felt it important to go on the road and interview as many of Andrew's loved ones as he could so that Zachary, as the unborn child was to be named, would one day be able to learn about his father. This initial purpose was sidetracked by the circumstances surrounding the situation, and so it is in the movie; after a few minutes of recounting old stories about Andrew, Kuenne's narration cuts in and says, "Okay, I'll come back to this later, but--" and off we go into an entirely different story, one far more layered and tragic.

Andrew's parents, David and Kathleen, realize that they must fight for the custody of the child, since Shirley is obviously a murderous nutcase. What's terrifying is that the Canadian legal system lets her walk. Not only do David and Kathleen have to give Zachary back to Shirley, but in order to spend time with him, they actually have to closely interact with the woman who gunned down their son in cold blood. This woman shouldn't be on the streets, let alone in their living room.

That's about all I'll say of the movie's content, for to say any more would be to rob you of the harrowing emotional experience. It's an experience that at times succeeds in spite of the director's more annoying tendencies.

Article Author: Arlo J. Wiley

Arlo J. Wiley is an aspiring filmmaker who has a deep love of movies, music, television, and most other artforms. He co-hosts the Gobbledygeek podcast and maintains its blog, which you can find at http://gobbledygeekbtr.wordpress.com.

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