Home Movie

Released 2001
Featuring Bill Tregle, Ben Skora, Darlene Satrinano, Ed Peden, Diana Peden, Bob Walker, Francis Mooney, Linda Beech
Directed by Chris Smith

A man’s home is his castle. But what if your home was a houseboat in bayou country, a retired missile silo in Kansas, a treehouse in Hawaii, an electronic Winchester of dwelling in Illinois, or a free-range cat box in California?

Documentary filmmaker Chris Smith (American Movie, American Job) tackles the issues of home and stability (in the literal sense) in his new film Home Movie – a collective examination of five of the most eccentric houses spread throughout America. The film takes an intimate approach in presenting a mosaic of colorful characters and their approaches to making a house a home. The end result is a plethora of engaging diatribes on the meaning of “home,” delivered in grand passion by the members of the various households.

Summary from filmcritic.com

Ok, I've seen this documentary three times now. Why? The second time was an accident, and the third was to watch it with my kids. I think it's just a joy. It's meditative to listen to each of the subjects describe their lives, which are inseparable from their homes. There aren't too many people whose houses define their lives, and I think it's wonderful to see people step out of the mainstream to live in a unique way but still be part of society. My favorite home was the converted missile silo, but my favorite homeowner was Bill Tregle. He looked like a Hell's Angel, but he came across as a sensitive, gentle soul. I could listen to his stories all day, and you could do a lot worse than crashing in one of his bunks and fishing off his deck. --Bill Alward, May 29, 2004