Ptown Diaries (2009)
Chronicling the amazing history of Provincetown a small Ma. town where the pilgrims first landed to the present day Gay Mecca. Ptown diaries weaves the story of the New England Yankees, Portuguese fisherman, bohemian artists into a single mesmerizing history. Provincetown was the first artists colony in the united states. The true beginnings of American drama took place here with the arrival of Eugene O "Neil, followed by the groundbreaking work of Tennessee Williams. Ptown diaries embraces the: the eccentric, the rich heritage, and the magnificent landscape known as "Lands End "
Watch Trailer
Cast
Similar titles
Reviews
Good , But It Is Overrated By Some
Fantastic!
best movie i've ever seen.
A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.
This documentary covers the post-Native American history of Provincetown (Massachusetts), from the landing of the Mayflower in 1620 to the naughties. Capably narrated by Alan Cumming, "Ptown Diaries" intersperses these historical bits with interviews with local officials and non-narrated video of a handful of regular people and events.The history and the interviews are for the most part very well done: the right length, interesting content, and so forth. I would have liked to see more about the tension between wealthy newcomers/second-home owners and those with longer ties to the community -- there was an interesting thread of homophobia/heterophobia which was a little jarring given Ptown's reputation for acceptance.My problem with the documentary was the non-narrated video of regular people and events. These could have been even more interesting than the narrated bits if edited appropriately (and if more such people had been captured). Instead, long sequences shot in gay/lesbian bars felt interminable, and I would swear that some of this immensely tedious footage was actually repeated. The 90-minute documentary could easily have been 20 minutes shorter.Maybe filmmaker Joe Mantegna was trying to reduce the summer tourist throng. After all, my other half said, "If that's what Ptown has become, we're never going back."