the audience applauded

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

There are moments in this movie where the great movie it could've been peek out... They're fleeting, here, but they're worth savoring, and they happen often enough to make it worth your while.

**** SPOILERS **** At the beginning I thought this was a Docu-drama then suddenly realised it was real life! A really interesting story about a guy who was married very young (~18) had 4 kids got divorced and then in mid-life (crisis) found Ecstacy.Anyone who has used E can fully understand the allure. He was so in love with the drug he even shared the experience with his children of 13/15 & 18. We can't draw arbitrary lines in the sand BUT 13/15 is far too young to experiment with any drugs.It's interesting that he has a passion for "Cats in the Cradle" as the lyrics aren't far from his current position albeit for different reasons.In all I really enjoyed this documentary but the idea of allowing such young children to experiment with drugs even once (any drugs including alcohol and tobacco) is stupidity and irresponsible to the extreme. His heart was in the right place but his son made much more sense than him in that respect.I did find the brain scan laughable though ... you have a brain of a 45 year old ... oh please!! There has never been any evidence of this kind except maybe the US Government sponsored study which was later de-bunked as total nonsense.All in all it's not so far from the truth and a pretty well balanced look at Ecstacy use ... although I hope a very rare instance where children are concerned.Party On! ;)

Spoilers*** It's great to watch a family go through and grow from the drug phase that so many people experience in life. Even dad was in on it and breaks your heart. They might have used the wrong approach to put pressure on an addict and put him on the spot like they did but dad's gonna come around eventually. He probably never got to be free in his life like he said and the drugs phase is hitting him in middle age instead of adolescence. Hopefully he doesn't fall off the edge or hit rock bottom. Maybe, just maybe, he needs to let off some steam and find himself. Wonder if he did meth or crack as well because he sure seems like it.It was very helpful to see the son go through a cat scan and visibly see the effects of his drug use. Very heartening to see that he decided to stop. Good to watch with people who might be at risk or already deep into drugs. Drug dealers, cops, raves and a family will keep you interested enough to wonder how they all are at the end.

This documentary follows a family in Calaveras, Northern California. A bleached-blond dad,40, his ex-wife, and their 4 children from 13 to army age, for a period of over half a year. The dad uses ecstasy, and goes to the raves. Discovering this had been to much for his wife, thus they were separated on the point where they started to make this documentary. "There is not much to do in this city, so we might as well drug ourselves" is a comment that tried to be light in the beginning - if in California they find "nothing to do" one might ask how many young people do ecstasy then in the states where there really isn't much to do, such as Montana or Utah. 1 of 8 teenagers in USA has tried ecstasy. It can cause a lot of negative things - dependency, problems for health, problems in family, society etc. But numbers and government's educative brochures are onlly numbers and warnings - so following one family where there are users of it, for a certain period of time, can probably show a lot better what it can really cause, to real people and not just numbers. The documentary feels a bit long (over 90 minutes) but a lot of 'slower' material feels appropriate - the looks on people's face in certain moments, some shoots of rave life, and of course things such as the family members explaining why they use(d) ecstasy.