Minding the Gap

     Minding the Gap is directed by Bing Liu. It is a documentary about three men growing up in Rockford, Illinois, and how skateboarding played a transcendental part in their upbringing, helping to shape the way in which they see the world around them.
     I find documentaries to be an interesting art form. The ones often watched in school are boring and straight to the facts, leaving a cold taste in the mouths of many of what a documentary can be. But upon discovering a newer wave of documentaries, I eagerly seek them out. 2018 was a great year for documentaries with Three Identical Strangers, Won't You Be My Neighbor?, and Free Solo. So I eagerly anticipated this documentary from first time filmmaker Bing Liu.
     From the very beginning, Minding the Gap grabs the viewer with some beautifully shot long takes of skateboarding throughout the empty streets of Illinois. To know the director had to be on a skateboard really helps the viewer to appreciate the technical craft on display. The uninterrupted takes show just how good of skateboarders these men have become throughout their years.
     While the beginning of the film made it appear as though the skateboarding would be the centerpiece of the narrative, the film shifts its focus in the second act. It begins to explore the upbringings of the three main characters, Zack, Keire, and Bing. All three faced abuse within their homes from their fathers. This binds them together, yet their response to the abuse differentiates them from each other.

One chooses forgiveness.

One chooses self-medication.

One chooses repression.

     But the film does not give an easy answer as to who made the best decision, because life is hard and there are no easy answers. Perhaps the worst thing about the movie is the sympathy shown to one character who himself is abusive to his girlfriend. But Bing Liu does not let the man off easy, and prods his subject to find out why he chose the path he did.
     At the end of the movie, a montage shows just how much time has passed from the start of the film to the end. The director shot footage for over ten years, impressively editing it down to a pristine ninety minute run time, teeming with beautiful imagery.
     Minding the Gap is currently streaming on Hulu.

When should you see it?
Opening Night