After, "Crumb", "Capturing The Friedmans", and to a much lesser extent, "The Devil And Daniel Johnston", I assumed I had seen my fair share of dysfunctional documentary families, but the Paskowitz also known as the "First Family Of Surfing", maybe the new heavy weights.
Assume for a second you father is a Jewish Stanford educated Dr., President of the medical association for the island of Hawaii, who has a mental breakdown/breakthrough...gives up his possessions, and moves to Isreal to live off the land. Here he introduces surfing to the 'Holy Land", and is in turn, taught the finer things in life, such as the application and enjoyment of Cunnilingus (an event which Dr. P claims "completely changed his life".) Dr. P, decides to abandon the pursuit of money or financial security, live in his van with his wife, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and surf. Dr. P, has 9 children who he raises in such a Camper.
The family is something of a surfing Partriges of the 70's, and are seen as a symbol of freedom, escape, and adventure to just about everyone they meet. Of course the kids are miserable, desperate to join the real world, which there father forbids them involvement with. . They listen to their parents have loud energetic sex, every single night, separated by a bed sheet. They are forbidden to have any formal education(one actually wants to be a DR.). At one point a family photo is on screen, everyone out in the water and smiling, and one brother says, "Adams bleeding in this picture actually, he didn't want to be in it. Dad made him". Which is the movie itself in microcosm.
More on that latter....
