"There Is Something Wrong With Aunt Diane" (2011 release; 103 min.) is a documentary about the horrific Taconic NY State Parkway car crash that killed 8 people. As the movie opens, we are "July 26, 2009", and we see security footage of a minivan stopping at a gas station, with a woman getting out and wanting to by OTC medication but the gas station doesn't have any. We then hear frantic 911 calls where people report a minivan driving at high speed in the wrong direction on the Taconic State Parkway, and then crash, killing the woman and 4 small children in the minivan, and the three adults in the SUV it hit head-on. Five says after the accident, the Westchester authorities which have done an autopsy, state that the woman had the alcohol equivalent of 10 drinks in her body, as well as high levels of pot. The woman's surviving husband and sister-in-law immediately start a public campaign that this is simply impossible... At this point we are 15 min. into the documentary but to tell you more of how it unfolds would spoil your viewing experience.
Couple of comments: this is the latest film from veteran and well-respected documentarian Liz Garbus ("Bobby Fischer Against the World"). Here she tackles the mystery of how a Diane, a 'normal' housewife who loves her young kids and nieces, ends up causing this horrific car crash, seemingly drunk and high (and at extreme levels no less). Garbus dissects the events of that day almost minute-by-minute, and of course interviews tons of people, nor just family members, but also experts that she engages (such as a forensic psychiatrist and an addiction psychiatrist). It all boils down to this: was the autopsy done correctly, and if so, how did she end up drunk and high? As you can well imagine, tension and emotions run high at times in such a heavily charged debate. But of course, regardless of what happened or how it happened, nothing will ever change the fact that 8 people dies that fateful day. It just leaves you shaking your head in disbelief. The documentary is a tidbit too long for its own good, but in the end it's a minor complaint.
I happened to stumble on this on HBO on Demand just the other day while looking for something good to watch. And that it certainly is, even though one cannot help but feel sorry for the families involved. Given that this documentary is now 7-8 years old, I would have loved to get a "where are they now" update on some of the prominent characters involved (Diane's husband, the young son who is the only one to survive the accident, etc.). If you are a fan of documentaries, I'd readily suggest you check this out if you get the chance.
