Feature documentaries proved that real-life doesn鈥檛 even need a fictional gloss to succeed. This summer鈥檚 crop of feature documentaries hit an all time high of nearly 20 鈥� even during the summer months, a traditional window for box-office candy and popcorn flicks. From the profile of comedian in 鈥�Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work鈥� to 鈥�Countdown to Zero鈥� and 鈥淚nside Job,鈥� the little films came out of the back row this year.
鈥淚t has been a better-than-average year for documentary features,鈥� says Mary Dalton, co-director of the Documentary film Program at Wake Forest University. "This is part of a longer trend that started to build after the commercial success of 'Bowling for Columbine' in theatrical release and the blockbuster status of 'Fahrenheit 9/11.' Docs are usually independently produced and have a lower budget than narrative features,鈥� she adds, noting that they are often seen as a cheap way to fill out programming schedules.
