Gates of Heaven

Movies 365: Day 30 – Gates of Heaven

I think it’s safe to say that most people look at pet cemeteries as some sort of sad novelty. Most people, though they love their pets, would not go to the trouble of buying a plot and burying their pet, coming back and visiting the grave for years to come. But maybe we’re wrong, or maybe those people, and the people that run pet cemeteries are just as nutty (if not more so) than we think.

Gates of Heaven focuses on a pet cemetery, and it’s owners, as well as those who have buried their pets there. But it’s also about more than that Gates of Heaven also delves into the philosophies of it’s subjects, and explores ideas of mortality and the afterlife. Some of it’s subjects come off as crazy, others sad, and yet seem completely sane. It’s a surprisingly engaging film.

Gates of Heaven lacks the visual style that Morris is so well known for, but it isn’t lacking in his ability to tell an interesting story, and to tell it well. Perhaps the best thing I can say about Gates of Heaven is that it’s surprising in it’s ability to make you think and feel, and that’s something I’m always up for.