Burt's Buzz (2014)

I have to admit that this doc was a pleasing experience - while at the same time acknowledging this documentary isn't for everyone. I had no idea there was a real "Burt" behind Burt's bees, much less that he was so fascinating and strange. A true eccentric. I also had no idea that there was a romance, intrigue, and drama behind the story. Or that Burt had a fan base. This is a story about an odd man, and the odd things that happened to him, and how this became a huge brand. If you buy the products, it'll give what you buy an interesting dimension. Assuming you want to buy it again after you see this!

I had high hopes, being that I'm a Mainer (who can relate to the quirky Mainer personality types) and a long-time user of Burt's Bees products. My aesthetic is similar—I like graphic design that is simple, yet slightly old-fashioned looking; I like products that are all-natural. But this documentary left me with more questions than I came in with (not knowing anything about the history of the company, I wanted to learn why they felt Burt warranted his own documentary). First, I think it suffered from the narrative thread—I wish it was told more linearly (start with early days of the company rather than hitting the audience with Burt's Taiwanese groupies in the first 2 minutes). Burt is quirky, but this doc doesn't give you enough—there is no coda, there is no real mention of the current company's owners (Clorox), there is no mention of why Roxanne declined to participate (or if they even asked her to), Burt's manservant (or "majordomo" as he is credited) who is he, who pays him and why is he there? There are themes I wish they explored deeper: how does Burt feel about his image being on all these products, products that no longer follow his original vision. What does the son really feel about the situation (he seems to be doing the most diplomatic of answers to all his questions). here are some heart-warming moments: Burt and his dog singing together over Skype, Burt telling Taiwanese investors "we need to separate our needs from our wants", but overall this doc needs more.

Burt seems like an interesting person but I think there is a lot more to the Burts Bees story than this documentary lets on.The other founder of Burts Bees, Roxanne does not appear in this documentary so the entire premise of this documentary feels very one sided and you feel like you're not getting the whole truth.In the film they explain how Burt lost millions of dollars for signing a contract and leaving the company behind and the director seems like he wants you to feel sorry for Burt, but then we learn that Burt cheated on his girlfriend/business partner Roxanne with a much younger woman so it's hard to have sympathy for Burt. The film doesn't really get into all the details about Burt and Roxanne's relationship but I feel like that would be a much more interesting story than just hearing the one sided version from Burt.

Greetings again from the darkness. I've said it many times - my expectations for documentaries are quite high. Either pick a side (ala Michael Moore) or tell the whole story. Anything less is a let down. That holds true even if your subject is a colorful curmudgeon with what might be an interesting back story.You are probably familiar with the Burt's Bees brand of personal care items. And you have probably noticed the bearded guy logo. Yes, that's the real Burt and director Jody Shapiro introduces us. Admittedly, I got caught up in the Burt show ... watching him bounce between his life of seclusion and minimalism in Maine and the near-rock star status he enjoys on a PR tour of Taiwan. It wasn't until afterwards that the holes and unanswered questions started piling up.The Burt Shavitz story traces his initial drop out from a promising photojournalism career in New York to selling jugs of honey from his truck on the side of the road. A chance meeting and initial attraction to single mom Roxanne Quimby brought ambition to Burt's quiet life and the next thing he knew, he was spending his days behind a desk helping run a company.Burt and Roxanne had a massive fallout after the company relocated to North Carolina and the movie only hints at the real reason. It also leaves open-ended the question of whether Roxanne shrewdly maneuvered the company away from Burt, and then later sold it for almost $1 billion to the Clorox company.It's pretty obvious Roxanne refused to participate and instead sent her son to answer questions. Because of this, the guts of the story are never determined. Instead, we follow Burt around as he fulfills his requirements to the company that he no longer owns. We don't get any details on his arrangement, who pays for his personal assistant, or what Burt thinks about the business side. Instead he ruminates about the importance of land, and how he lives a life without hot water or hardly any other of life's modern conveniences. Well, except for when he is staying in 4 star hotels while touring for the company. These contradictions are fascinating, but of course, go unexplored.Burt doesn't appear to be a very complex man, and it's easy to accept his words at face value. He is almost 80 years old and seems to be quite satisfied hanging out with his dog ... but he also gets a kick out of the recognition and applause from his promotional tours. With all of the unanswered questions, this would have been better served as an hour long "Biography".