The Way We Get By

The Hearld-Sun Review: "The Way We Get By" stands out among diverse lineup

Dawn Baumgartner Vaughan, The Herald-Sun

“...as great films show, there is more to the story.”

DURHAM -- This year's films at Full Frame Documentary Film Festival, aside from the sporting-themed programming, cannot be easily categorized into specific topics. There are simply too many diverse offerings. That's a good thing. Viewers can see films foreign or domestic, with an agenda or simply observational, of tragedy or triumph, those that are sedate or action-packed. One film among those available as press screeners before the festival starts stands out as particularly well done.

It is "The Way We Get By," which features three older Americans who have welcomed home more than 750,000 troops from Afghanistan and Iraq. It will be screened at 10:30 a.m. April 3 in Fletcher Hall at the Carolina Theatre. The film is 85 minutes long and directed and edited by Aron Gaudet. It was produced by Gita Pullapilly, with cinematography by Gaudet and Dan Ferrigan. The film premiered at the South by Southwest festival earlier this month in Austin, Texas. "The Way We Get By" shows three senior citizens who go to the Bangor, Me., airport day and night to greet the troops. But, as great films show, there is more to the story.

The greeters are:

Bill Knight, a World War II veteran who spent 32 years and three months in the Army Air Corps and Navy. "I'd like to be there right now," he tells the filmmaker about the current wars. He lives in a rundown, filled-with-refuse old farmhouse that has become too much for the man in his 80s to deal with alone. He talks about outliving his usefulness to himself, but finds his role as a greeter useful to others.

Greeter Joan Gaudet has eight children. Her youngest is the film's director. Two of her grandchildren are bound for Iraq, a grandson and a helicopter pilot granddaughter. She has health problems and sleeps in a recliner. The audience can see how much she and the other greeters really care for the soldiers. Before the war-bound soldiers ship out, they stop in a greeter area for homemade cookies and to sign T-shirts. Gaudet welcomes them to that room, but can't bring herself to actually say goodbye as they walk toward their departing flights. But she'll drive to the airport at 3 a.m. to welcome them home.

Jerry Mundy is a retired ironworker and Marine who proudly wears his "Troop Greeter" hat. He loves his dog Flanagan. He lets the cameras come with him to the doctor's office and hospital as he deals with health problems. But as soon as possible he is back at the airport, welcoming the troops. He takes a smoke break with a few of them, trying to make jokes to lighten the mood. Both Knight and Mundy kid around with the other greeters and the soldiers. Their lives at the airport are contrasted with their quieter lives away from it.

The film also shows snippets of soldiers making cell phone calls sharing news of their arrival as well as their reaction to the greeters. Some soldiers shake hands and move on down the hallway. Others stop and hug the greeters or ask them questions. Some also thank the greeters who are military veterans for their service, too.

"The Way We Get By" does a wonderful job capturing our nation's social history beyond the battlefield. The filmmakers will have a question and answer session following the screening.