Farmboy

What makes this film so affecting are the first person historic accounts told by the interviewees interspersed with reenacted scenes of a depression-era dairy farm family in the Inlet Valley in Ithaca, NY. The author of the book on which the movie is based came of age in the 30s, growing from age 8 to 18 before going off to college and then WWII. His mother was a natural documentarian, and took many artful and representative photos which are reproduced in the movie. An original film score, winner of a NYS Emmy, accompanies the whole story with poignancy and bounce. Children will enjoy the many kids in the reenactments, including a funny story about a Rat Tree. (Imagine that, if you can!) H.E. Babcock, father of the author John Babcock, was a major figure in NY State dairy farming, and also advised President Roosevelt, along with a consortium of other Cornell professors, on the gold standard, a move that got the country out of the depression. Back when farmers could still be major figures, H.E. also founded the School of Nutrition at Cornell, and served as Chairman of the Board of Trustees at Cornell for 12 years. Family members and acquaintances of H.E. Babcock are interviewed while younger generations play the roles of their ancestors in realistic and charming scenes on the farm and environs. The scenery is gorgeous, the camera work professional.