Roam Sweet Home

Infobox Film
name = Roam Sweet Home


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director = Ellen Spiro
producer = Ellen Spiro
writer =
narrator = Sam the Dog
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cinematography = Ellen Spiro
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released = 1996
runtime = 57:00
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website = http://www.mobilusmedia.com/roam.html
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imdb_id = 131564

Roam Sweet Home is a road-trip documentary about the lives of retirees who live on the road full-time in trailers, due to economic necessity, pleasure, or both. Filmmaker Ellen Spiro and her dog, Sam, join a community of American nomads in order to explore their unconventional lifestyle first hand.

Through Spiro’s innovative and interpersonal style of filmmaking she captures the spirit of the roamers and the wide variety of reasons they abandoned the more traditional means of retirement. One group of women discusses the thrill of independence and sheer freedom they discovered after escaping repressive relationships. Another expounds upon the pleasures of traveling unencumbered throughout the country.

The film is narrated by Spiro’s dog, Sam, as he shares his perspective on the whims and follies of human nature. Aging himself, Sam adds an emotional perspective through his musings on death and the journey through life.

Awards

• Grand Prize at the Big Muddy Film Festival
• National Media Owl award presented by Gene Siskel for the Retirement Research Foundation

External Links

[http://www.mobilusmedia.com/roam.html Roam Sweet Home] Official Website
[http://imdb.com/title/tt0131564/ Roam Sweet Home] at the Internet Movie Database

Articles

Johnson, Jerry. [http://www.austinchronicle.com/issues/vol17/issue10/screens.spiro.html Roam Sweet Home.] Austin Chronicle. 1997-11-7. Retrieved on 2007-6-12.

McDonald, Scott. [http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0520227387 The Garden in the Macine: A Field Guide to Independent Films About Place.] University of California Press. Berkeley and Los Angeles California. 2001. Retrieved on 2007-6-25.

[http://www.itvs.org/pressroom/pressRelease.htm?pressId=3 Roam Sweet Home: ITVS presents Ellen Spiro's Inside Look at Life on the Road.] Independent Television Service. 1997-5-28. Retrieved on 2007-6-12.

[http://www.itvs.org/pressroom/pressRelease.htm?pressId=3 Independent Television Service (ITVS): Press Release.] 1997-5-28. Retrieved on 2007-6-12.