Hands on a Hardbody: The Documentary

A dealership in Longview, Texas, holds a contest every year: twenty-four people put a hand on a pickup truck and whoever takes their hand off last wins it. The rules are simple; five minutes' break every hour, no sitting, no sleeping. The contest runs for days. The one in 1995 lasted seventy-seven hours. While watching the contest, S.R. Bindler's documentary is really looking at why they entered: some need the vehicle, some want to prove something, some just want to get used to not losing. As the sleeplessness goes on the way people talk changes, and the film is content to record that change. There is no commentary and no narration, only the people around the truck. Years later the documentary was adapted into a Broadway musical. Who it's for: Viewers who like American documentary, endurance contests, and observational method. Who it's not for: The image quality is rough and the pace is slow. The narrative also deliberately arrives nowhere.