DAUGHTERS
(directors: Angela Patton, Natalie Rey; cinematographer: Michael Fernandez; editors: Troy Lewis, Adelina Bichis; Runtime: 108; MPAA Rating: PG-13 producers: Lisa Mazzotta, Mindy Goldberg, Justin Benoliel, Sam Bisbee, Kathryn Everett, Laura Choi, Natalie Rey, James Cunningham; Netflix; 2024)
“An emotionally moving film, giving the viewer a rough idea of what it must be like for a family to have dad behind bars.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
The tearjerker documentary directed by Angela Patton & Natalie Rey follows a voluntary program in the Washington D.C. area called Date With Dad, whereby incarcerated men and their daughters (who are all between 5 and 15) can get together in the prison for a father-daughter dance. Four of these families are closely followed. The men are required to go through a 10-week training session on parenting before approved.
The film’s liberal viewpoint points to the need for the reform of the criminal justice system, in a country that has the biggest prison population in the world and few programs of prison rehabilitation.
The co-directors capture it as an emotionally moving film, giving the viewer a rough idea of what it must be like for a family to have dad behind bars.
For the past 12 years Patton has been involved in this type of program, which she views as an invaluable way of humanizing the prisoners and keeping the families in touch with each other.
To its credit, the film never becomes sentimental. It follows through years later on how the father-daughter dance may have helped either the prisoner or his family (95% of the fathers in this program have not returned to prison). I would think you would need bigger programs with more prisoners involved for reform to make an impact that would really matter. But I have no problem with this program to do at least something to help prisoners humanize who most likely will return to society. It comes at a time when face-to-face visits in prisons are being phased out in favor of phone contacts or video calls that come with a charge to the families.
REVIEWED ON 8/26/2024 GRADE: B
dennisschwartzreviews.com