Filling in the Blanks

As "Filling In the Blanks" (2023 release; 95 min), we are introduced to Jon Baime, 54 yo, as he is getting ready to take a DNA test. We then go back in time as we get archival footage from the 1960s of Jon and his family (mom and dad, and 2 older brothers) growing up in the New Jersey suburbs. Turns out that dad is quite moody... At this point we are 10 minutes into the documentary.

Couple of comments: this movie is the labor of love by Jon Baime, as narrator, writer, producer and director of this (and, oh yea, he stars as well). Baime makes an unexpected discovery of a deeply held family secret, and once he finds out, the question is what he does with that information. I won't divulge anything more. The documentary could've gone in several ways but in the end, Baime, a very likable "Joe Sixpack" kinda guy, turns this into an uplifting story about unexpected family secrets. As such, the movie flies by in non time.

"Filling In the Blanks" recently started streaming on Amazon Prime, where I caught it a few days ago. If you are in the mood for an uplifting documentary, I'd readily suggest you check it out and draw your own conclusion.

Jon Baime does an amazing job with this documentary about his journey of self-discovery due to his father's off-hand comment leading him to have a DNA test secretly.

His ability to tell this story has you on the edge of your seat, fully engrossed. I felt like I was involved, part of the family, and I wanted to know more.

It is an interesting insight into the world of popular DNA tests and what the results might lead to. You go into it thinking you want to know more about your ancestry but end up finding out that nothing has been what it seemed and the family has had a secret you were not privy to.

I highly recommend this documentary.

As home DNA testing kits and the interest in genealogy grow in popularity, more and more of us are learning that our parents are not who we were told they are. The current estimate can be as high as 10% of the population. This documentary explores the topic in an honest and emotional way. The pain and loss caused by the discovery are explored along with the (potential) shame and angst. Loss of the biological connection via a DNA test can touch so many members of the family, each in different ways. The creator of this movie does an excellent job of communicating these complex issues. The use of original family movies is impressive. This is one of the best movies I have seen on the topic. If you have experienced this loss, or know someone who has experienced the loss of their parental connection, via learning the truth of their adoption, donor conception, or plain misattribution of their parent, this is a MUST-WATCH film.

You can tell this is a man who hasn't had a tough life , in part due to his Church we are in our 50s what are you thinking parents , and yet , he has such little empathy for either of them. Maybe it's his overly pandering , childish way of telling his story rather than just telling it. It's as if he feels like unless he gives us cues we won't pick up on the nuances. Unless you were adopted or found something similar out in your own life, I can't see or find anything insightful or new or interesting about this rendering. It comes across as pandering and childish . The most interesting thing for me was seeing Johnny Carson before the tonight show. The way they speak of and try and trap their 93 yr old father is unbelievable. These boys have never had a day of real heart ache in their lives.

If you have any interest in this type of real story, I don't think there is a better article or video on this topic that exists today than this one. They really did a phenomenal job, covering every imaginable aspect of a complicated topic as they follow the hero through the complete arc of this journey from beginning to end, with all the complications that arise from it and his personal family and the changes that society itself has undergone throughout the decades.

At the same time, it avoids much of the negativity that constantly surrounds this topic when people impose today's standards on the past while maintaining what feels like a great deal of accuracy and realism.

I give it a 10/10 because of accuracy and quality of execution on the topic.