Synopsis:
When a criminal court judge starts a running club on LA’s notorious skid row lives begin to change. This inspiring documentary follows five runners as they rise from the mean streets of LA to run marathons around the world, fighting the pull of homelessness and addiction at every turn. Their story is one of hope, friendship, and dignity.
It’s difficult at times to stay positive in today’s society. Somewhere along the way we lost touch with our humanity and became obsessed with self more than ever. We’ve become a self-absorbed, secretly self-hating, shell of a society. A society that is not only afraid of our neighbors but is afraid of our own shadows. However, oftentimes we are presented with glimmers of hope in the forms of viral videos. Some are videos of someone buying a meal and just being nice to a homeless person. Other times, it’s a simple as a hug to a stranger. Well, this time it’s in the form of a wonderful documentary; Skid Row Marathon reminded me that genuine altruism still exists. Not only is it a heartwarming story but it exposes some of our weaknesses as human beings and how someone truly believing in you can resurrect your life. It shows us that people can truly benefit from a second chance and addiction can be beaten. We all have things to overcome and goals we want to accomplish and this documentary highlights that. I see it as an equalizer that binds us all and makes this documentary enjoyable and relatable. I thoroughly enjoyed this doc by Mark and Gabriele Hayes and everything it stands for. It’s an uplifting story that is truly needed out in the world.
Plot & Pace
The documentary follows Judge Craig J. Mitchell who wanted to give a sense of dignity back to those who need it most. It may also provide dignity for the judge as well. Judge Mitchell is a criminal court judge and often is burdened with the responsibility of handing down life-altering sentences to citizens of Los Angeles. It’s a job he takes seriously but in private can’t help but feel saddened by what he has to do. In turn, he decided to counteract some of the negativity. He started a running club to help give a small sense of purpose and community to the homeless, recovering drug-addicts, and ex-cons. For those struggling, it provides an outlet and something to look forward to on a weekly basis. The judge takes it upon himself to help those that many thinks aren’t worth the trouble. He not only runs with them but he helps hold them accountable along with aiding them in there future endeavors. The running club is sometho=ing that he and the others take seriously. They don’t just run, they train and plan to finish every marathon they enter. Furthermore, he, with the help of donors he acquires, funds trips to other countries for those apart of the club to run in marathons because he feels they should be able to see different parts of the world. Additionally, knowing that it would be an inspiration for one man who is an aspiring painter. The club becomes family for those who have no one else. Now, not everyone is a success story but it’s the effort that counts. Nothing is immediate, but for those who keep at it, good things happen for them. While the judge heads the running group, he is not the only focus of the story. It carefully follows the journey of five others that benefit from being in the club. With pretty seamless transitions, it moves at a pace that makes the doc pleasant and rewatchable.
Characters & Chemistry
Since this is a documentary, there are no characters. Instead there a real people and real chemistry. Judge Craig Mitchell is the glue that holds it all together. It’s his brainchild and is dedicated to the point of defying doctors’ orders telling him that he shouldn’t be running. David is a recovering addict that was homeless and is an aspiring artist who is looking to restart his life. Ben is a musician who fell victim to addiction and homelessness and is fighting against it while returning to world of music. Rebecca was also homeless and struggled with ills and just wants to work and provide for her son. Rafael is a convicted murderer who was released early on parole and has turned his life around, but one wrong move could send him back to prison to serve a life sentence. All of them have a special relationship with Judge Mitchell but his connection with Rafael is perhaps the most unique. It shows that one mistake does not define a person but a person is the sum of everything they have done and will do in the future.
Skid Row Marathon released in select theaters on October 14th following an award-winning festival run. It is now streaming in the UK and Ireland.
Runtime: 85 minutes
Rating
4.5 out of 5
Senior Critic. Observing the human race since 1988.
