We're OK in Brick NJ

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Kitty
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We're OK in Brick NJ

Post by Kitty »

I was browsing archive.org for something fun to post in the PSA section, and I came across this. My eyes perked up. Brick NJ?! That's where I grew up. This is a really interesting CBS documentary of a family who moved from Jersey City to Brick in 1973. There are 2 parts.
Note in the second part, the female teacher is talking to the class. A sign of the times. I don't know if she was trying to be funny, but she says to the class:

"They have a lot of aggression. They have to be leaders. Boys have to be the leaders. Who do you think goes to fight the wars? The boys. They don’t send women over there. You know why? We’ll probably lose the war cause they’ll start talking, and they’ll forget what they were over there for." :shock: :roll:

https://archive.org/details/wereokinbricknj
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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donnie
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Re: We're OK in Brick NJ

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That’s something to find a documentary like that about your hometown! I enjoyed watching that; it was very well-made. There didn’t seem to be any sign of self-consciousness or awareness that they were being filmed, and the scenes and conversations that were chosen really gave a complete portrait. After watching it, I felt I really knew and liked that family.

It’s also an interesting snapshot in time. This is the sort of thing that people a hundred years from now could watch and really get a good handle on what the daily lives, hopes, aspirations of an American family were at that time.

I like hearing that New Jersey accent. Do you have that accent? Did the area still look about the same later when you lived there?

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Kitty
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Re: We're OK in Brick NJ

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Yes it was very similar except much bigger at the time I was growing up. I don't have the accent because they were actually from up north in Jersey City and moved down to Brick. Jersey City is right across the river to New York. People do say they can detect an accent sometimes by certain words I say but it's not like theirs. I loved that party scene. I wanted to be there. And yes I felt like I knew and loved them. The football team was the dragons. That's 'old brick'. The second, newer school they had to make had the mustangs. If you look closely at the check she is writing at one point, you can see the address. It was 420 woodpark Dr. You can actually see the house on Google maps, although I think it's 421 now. Or maybe it says 421 on the check. It's hard to see kind of because it's blurry. I was searching to see if even any of the kids at the school happened to look at the camera and no one did. Their children seem smart, don't you think?
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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donnie
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Re: We're OK in Brick NJ

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Yes, they did. That's cool about the address. I was looking at the check, too, but didn't notice the number. I wonder if the people who live there now know there is a documentary from 1973 filmed in that house, assuming it's the same house. I wonder if the basement ever got fixed? :lol:

Their accents did sound more New York-ish. And another thing I notice is that the high school football games are played in the daytime. I've heard they're played on Saturday mornings up north, is that right? That seems really odd to me, because in the South they're always on Friday nights.

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donnie
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Re: We're OK in Brick NJ

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Some more thoughts about that program—you know, watching it, you're really not aware until you think about it, how high a degree of skill it would take to do something like that. I mean, if I had tried to make a documentary about a family like that, it would have been the dullest, most incomprehensible mess you ever saw. It some real artistry to weave that together into a meaningful whole. I know that it is narrated by Charles Kuralt, and I would bet that he had a good bit to do with the production and editing of it, too, because you know he went on to kind of specialize in that type of thing. He had a real gift for revealing what was special about the lives of ordinary people. I don't know if you remember his popular "On the Road" series of short features? I think they were a part in the 60 Minutes program. He would travel all over the country and find interesting things.

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Kitty
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Re: We're OK in Brick NJ

Post by Kitty »

I remember there were evening games. It was light into dark so we must have started earlier. I believe that away games would be during the day. I forgot about the basement issue. I think it would have drastically reduced the value if he just filled it in. A family member told me she remembers seeing that documentary when it aired in '73. I thought that was neat. I don't know... Maybe one of the 5 children still live at the house!!! Haha never know.
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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Kitty
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Re: We're OK in Brick NJ

Post by Kitty »

No I've never heard of the on the road series. This documentary sort of reminds me of that Albert Brooks movie Real Life. In the film he plays a director trying to make a documentary about the every day lives of a family. Well it doesn't end well :lol: Have you seen it?
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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donnie
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Re: We're OK in Brick NJ

Post by donnie »

No, not familiar with that one, but sounds interesting.

Here is kind of a neat little On the Road segment (embedding disabled):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUDLyjBpnaE

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Kitty
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Re: We're OK in Brick NJ

Post by Kitty »

donnie wrote:
Sun Mar 05, 2017 8:29 pm
Here is kind of a neat little On the Road segment (embedding disabled):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUDLyjBpnaE
Fantastic!!! That was a really fun watch. I wonder if he ever accomplished his life goal of 11's!
You trying to tell me you didn't hear that shriek? That was something trying to get out of its premature grave, and I don't want to be here when it does. - Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

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donnie
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Re: We're OK in Brick NJ

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:D I doubt it!

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