51 BIRCH STREET - Available (At Last!) on DVD

Today is the official street date for the 51 Birch Street DVD release and it's a pretty odd notion that the films' real life is only just beginning.  After all, it's been almost two years since its world premiere at Toronto, and in the interim there have been countless festival and theatrical screenings, not to mention broadcasts, all over the globe. 

Yet, face it, all that hard work getting the film out into the world and getting the word out and getting the eyeballs and getting the accolades and, yes, getting the grief has been for this moment.  In the end it's still all about the DVD.

There's less glamour to a DVD release, but there's a big upside, too.  I can move on with my life, for one thing (and I have with a vengeance, but more on that later).  And our DVD extras actually do what I've always thought DVD extras should do - expand the experience of watching the film.  A 21-minute featurette where I interview all my family members about their wide-ranging reactions to the film, and to exposing our family "secrets" so publicly, functions as a fascinating epilogue as opposed to the usual bland filler.

The main thing, though, is from this time forward the film will always be available.  And whenever someone asks how they can see 51 Birch Street, all I have to do is say "GO HERE and click on the link!"

Comments

[Emma]

I thought 51 Birch Street was fantastic, but when I watched it last week on More4 in the UK I fell asleep before the end (not because it wasn't fascinating!) I'm sorry to say that I don't know anyone else who saw it (the people i know aren't deep thinkers), so I don't know what happens in the end, so I am delighted to see that I will soon be able to buy the DVD. Aren't families interesting?

Emma Main

[Deb]

I am happy to say I finally saw your film. It was so interesting and wonderfully done. I fell in love with your parents! What a beautiful woman your mom was and your father an intelligent and strong man. I also had tears in my eyes at the end of the film. I believe that your mom would have been very proud of the film. I think that people will come away from the film with a knowledge of how a marriage really works (not shocked by the family secrets.) I will recommend this film to my friends. This movie is NOT easy to forget. The charactors will stay with you long after the credits roll. Bravo!