The Garden (2008)

77% of critics liked it
(22 reviews)
80% of users liked it
(405 ratings)

In the aftermath of the 1992 L.A. riots, something truly remarkable happened at the intersection of 41st Street and Alameda Avenue thanks to an uncharacteristically charitable move by the city government; where once existed a barren field littered with garbage and syringes suddenly appeared a… More In the aftermath of the 1992 L.A. riots, something truly remarkable happened at the intersection of 41st Street and Alameda Avenue thanks to an uncharacteristically charitable move by the city government; where once existed a barren field littered with garbage and syringes suddenly appeared a 14-acre community garden. Dubbed the South Central Farm, the produce garden soon began yielding fresh lettuce, ripe tomatoes, and sweet papayas. Now the local farmers could enjoy their own crops rather than relying on food stamps for subsistence. Not only that, but it also replaced a scene of urban blight with a scene of unusual beauty. For over a decade, the South Central Farm thrived, though in December of 2003 it appeared that the days of this inner-city oasis may be numbered. As the farmers receive eviction notices and bulldozers prepare to level the garden to make room for warehouses, filmmaker Scott Hamilton Kennedy documents the two-and-a-half-year court battle to save the South Central Farm. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 20 min.
Directed By: Scott Hamilton Kennedy
Genres: Documentary, Special Interest

In Theaters: Jun 18, 2008 Wide
On DVD: Aug 18, 2009
Studio: Oscilloscope Pictures

Critic Reviews

Mark Feeney, Boston Globe
Justice and Corruption and Profit are abstractions, and film is so ill suited to deal with abstractions.
Philip Kennicott, Washington Post
A good documentary leaves the viewer wanting more. A problematic one leaves the viewer needing more.
Joe Neumaier, New York Daily News
[Director] Hamilton captures the heart-wrenching devastation done in the name of profit, as citizens mourn. Incredibly effecting.
Kyle Smith, New York Post
The Garden is an especially fatuous documentary, nominated for an Oscar this year, about a community garden in South Central LA where Latino farmers have been allowed to grow food on somebody else's land.
Jeannette Catsoulis, New York Times
This intricate and compelling documentary paints a saddening portrait of American politics.
Christy Lemire, Associated Press
Scott Hamilton Kennedy's plucky, powerful storytelling makes this a worthwhile experience.
Kevin Carr, 7M Pictures
an interesting film simply for the complexity of this issue
Bill Gibron, PopMatters
The Garden moves beyond the feel good facet of any apparent ending to show how stark, stupid reality can rip said victory away. It won't make sense - none of these 'us vs. them' situations ever do - but it does create compelling cinema.
Shawn Levy, Oregonian
Likely to grab your heart and incite your passions.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
[Director Kennedy] lets his subjects tell their tales in their own words. And that's what really makes the film interesting.
Avi Offer, NYC Movie Guru
A compelling, inspirational, provocative and thoroughly engrossing documentary.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A compelling documentary about an urban garden collective and their fight for justice in a nation where poor people are expected to keep quiet and not speak truth to power.
Adam Keleman, Slant Magazine
The documentary digs deep into the racial and monetary problems of a tumultuous, melting-pot community.
David Fear, Time Out New York
The Garden does a fine job of promoting the power of grassroots advocacy; in almost all other respects, however, this is nonfiction filmmaking that's nearly as dull as dirt.
Harvey S. Karten, Compuserve
A political documentary that is as lovingly developed as the garden cared for by poor immigrants.
Kam Williams, NewsBlaze
A heartbreaking documentary which landed a well-deserved Oscar-nomination for its touching portrayal of Spanish-speaking salt-of-the-earth who find it hard to fathom that the legal system could possibly side with a crook out to flatten the fruit of their
Marshall Fine, Hollywood & Fine
An infuriatingly clear-eyed documentary...suspenseful and moving, a film that keeps you guessing (and hoping) right up until the conclusion.
Geoff Berkshire, Metromix.com
Presents a classic story of the little guy taking on The Man with both thrilling and frustrating results.
Jennifer Merin, About.com
A beautiful portrait of a unique downtown LA community of poor Mexican-Americans who've turned urban blight into a marvelous garden and fight a developer determined to shut them down. A moving, inspiring documentary.