Our Day (1938)
In the National Film Registry
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12m
A family challenges Depression-era stereotypes with their comfortable life & intellectual pursuits.
Created with consumer-grade equipment by a non-professional filmmaker, Wallace Kelly's 1938 silent film, Our Day, offers a glimpse into American home movie making before the widespread adoption of color film and sound.
Despite its seemingly straightforward premise – a day in the life of the Kelly family in Kentucky – the film utilizes innovative camerawork, editing, and lighting techniques that elevate it beyond a typical home movie. Kelly's playful use of close-ups, tracking shots, and dissolves showcases a surprising sophistication for an amateur production.
Our Day's significance lies in its ability to capture a specific time and place. It offers a rare window into middle-class life during the Great Depression, presenting a counterpoint to the stereotypical narratives of hardship and struggle. The film depicts a family enjoying leisure activities, pursuing hobbies, and tending to their home, showcasing a resilience and normalcy often overlooked in historical depictions of the era.
Ultimately, Our Day's experimentation lies in its defiance of categorization. It blurs the line between personal documentation and artistic expression, offering a valuable perspective on American life in the 1930s through the lens of an innovative home movie maker.
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