Gates of Heaven (1978) Review

"The cat, uh, the cat- did pass on."

You make a good documentary by finding a Weirdo(s), pointing a camera at them, and letting them talk. Errol Morris understands this, which is why he makes such good documentaries, including this one. Viewers don't actually need that much context, clever cutting, or directorial narration. Nor bits, skits, or gotchas. Find the right people, just set down the camera, ask some questions, and let 'em rip.

As this film proves, they don't need to be famous. They don't even need to be locally famous, really. They just need to be interesting. And the cast of characters around the post-mortem pet business in rural Napa County California are more than interesting enough to launch the career of a great documentarian.