Rail life

The documentary "Catching Out" is an affectionate portrait of railroad hobo life and the people who still practice it today.

By KRISTINA FELICIANO
Offoffoff.com

It's virtually unfathomable, and oddly quaint, that there are people in America who choose to live outside of the materialist mainstream. They're not shopping for a larger SUV, not standing in line to audition for the next season of "American Idol," not buying $3 cups of coffee at a national chain. In "Catching Out," Sarah George's heartfelt documentary about riding the rails, folks proudly embrace a sort of hobo code of ethics. They travel the country on freight trains, helping each other survive in scrappy, scavenging conditions, and living for the thrill of eluding railroad cops (nicknamed bulls) and avoiding the 9-to-5. They, and this modest little film, give new meaning to the concept of freedom.

CATCHING OUT
Directed by: Sarah George .
Music by: Pete Droge .

Related links: Official site
George, who has herself logged more than 10,000 miles on the tracks, presents the peripatetic life through the eyes of a variety of people: Switch and Baby Girl, lifelong drifters for whom the birth of their child forces them to rethink their lifestyle; Jessica, a bright Berkeley dropout who as a child traveled the country with her mother and her sister in a renovated postal truck; and environmental activist Lee, who lives in a squat in a northern California forest.

They're all likeable people. Even their parents we meet Lee's mom and dad and Jessica's mom are amiable and, above all, understanding. That's the thing about "Catching Out": It's not especially critical. George gives us the daily grind of it waiting for the trains while keeping an eye out for the cops, searching Dumpsters for food. She also more than makes the point that riding the rails offers a camaraderie and sense of possibility that so-called normal life can be bereft of. But hearing from, say, a bull or two would have given the movie a sense of balance and provided an understanding of the opposition these train hoppers face. It also would have infused the film with a bit of drama "Catching Out" is rather placid for a movie about living by one's wits.

But that's a small quibble for what is ultimately a fond portrait of a unique breed of people who have a refreshing take on love, loyalty, and, best of all, individuality.

AUGUST 26, 2003
OFFOFFOFF.COM THE GUIDE TO ALTERNATIVE NEW YORK

 

Check out the actual review at http://www.offoffoff.com/film/2003/catchingout.php

 


Catching Out | Cast | Crew | Credits | Director | Screenings | Info & Press | The Game | Buy DVD

Worthy Entertainment 2658 Griffith Park Blvd #295 Los Angeles, CA 90039 (888) 5 WORTHY hobo AT catchingout DOT com