The Parking Lot Movie

The Parking Lot Movie is an American documentary feature from 2010 that surreally celebrates an ostensibly mundane aspect of life - a parking lot in Charlottesville, Va., a small town home to the University of Virginia. The stars of this film are the transient employees of this peculiar parking lot - Patrick Baran, John Beers, Chris Farina among others- who add a unique touch of personality and quirk to this operation. While the film, at its core, is about a single parking lot and its attendants, it dives far deeper beneath the surface, exploring universal human themes of work, class, aspiration, and the search for meaning in an often chaotic world.

Directed by Meghan Eckman, this unusual documentary transcends the banality of its setting, revealing the parking lot as a microcosm of contemporary American life. Sometimes hilarious, sometimes surprising, it paints a poignant portrait of the attendant attendants, the customers, and the clashes that frequently ensue. It's a look at capitalism, man's relation to his work, and the bizarre drama that can arise in the most unexpected of places.

The attendants are primarily made up of graduates, undergraduates, and artists from various backgrounds - musicians, philosophers, anthropologists. These are folks who have made a simple choice to stay on this lot, some for just a short period, others for years. They bring a peculiar brand of philosophy and rebellion to this unconventional job, handling the day-to-day grind with a mix of humor, resistance, and contemplation. The lot becomes a kind of home to them, a spot where they assert their idiosyncrasies, question society's relentless pace, and engage in intellectual discussions.

Their clientele, mainly the college students, colonial reenactors, and middle management, provide an intriguing cross-section of our society. These interactions range from mundane to absurd, from considerate to confrontational. It's a case study in human nature, and the narratives that emerge from these everyday transactions provide the film with much of its charm.

However, The Parking Lot Movie is not just about the attendant-customer dynamic. It delves into interplay between different societal roles, exploring the tension, both subtle and overt, between the educated working poor and the privileged class. This analysis is done with both wit and insight, with attendants airing their perspectives on privilege, the nature of work, and societal expectations.

Moreover, the film spends a significant portion of its time on the philosophy of work and the attendant's relationship to his job, capably breaking down the myth of the disaffected slacker. The attendants, despite the seeming insignificance of their job, are not dispassionate or detached. Rather, they bring their intellects and creativity to the parking lot, showing that meaningful and intriguing discussion can emerge from even the most ordinary settings.

The Parking Lot Movie is graced with an original soundtrack by Sam Retzer with sharp editing by Chris Hlad. It follows the cinema verite style of direct cinema, focusing the story on the subjects and letting their words, humor, and intellect shine through, without any overt manipulation or staging.

It's an unlikely anthem of the working class and celebration of the intellectual life that manages to be both profoundly thought-provoking and entertaining. The cinematography gives an everyday parking lot, a space often overlooked, a sense of beauty and significance. There are lingering shots of the lot at different times of the day that add an element of aesthetic grace to the ordinary narrative.

The Parking Lot Movie challenges normative views of work, success, and value. It's an unexpected humanistic tribute that redefines the concept of a dead-end job and reflects on the surprising depth that can be found in the most unexpected of places. An engaging watch and often surprisingly humorous, the film succeeds in transforming this parking lot into an arena where the basic principles of society and human nature are in constant interplay.

In conclusion, The Parking Lot Movie is deeply introspective, brimming with clever humor, and offers up an intimate portrait of a unique American workplace. This deceptively simple documentary might change how you see parking lots, work, and life in general. It’s a small film about a small place, but it poses big questions and offers even bigger answers. It speaks with an authenticity that resonates long after the screen goes blank. Be prepared to never view parking lots, or for that matter, hour-long jobs, the same way again.