Eye For Film >> Movies >> An American Love Story (1998) Film Review
An American Love Story is an amazing work, drawing on more than a year and a half of material to produce 10 one-hour episodes. The documentary centres on Karen Wilson and Bill Sims an interracial couple living in Queens, New York. Their relationship has lasted for more than 30 years and flourished in the face of racial intolerance from all sides.
Filmmaker Jennifer Fox lived with Karen and Bill, and their two daughters, at their home, camping out in the daughters' bedroom. During this time, Fox became a part of the group and captures the difficulties of growing up in a society which is still not truly integrated.
In addition, Fox works in interviews with friends, family and co-workers shedding further light on the couple as well as giving opinions on race, love, parenting, growing up, growing old, identity, culture, drugs, sex, religion, work, money and marriage.
Each episode deals with a different segment of the life story, from the difficulties their eldest daughter faces at a mostly white University to Bill returning to see the children from his previous marriage. Seen together, all the parts provide a remarkably sensitive, three-dimensional portrait of a couple who have simply managed to live together happily through the years.
Reviewed on: 19 Jan 2001
