REVIEW: ‘Dick Johnson Is Dead,’ now on Netflix, uniquely celebrates life
Image courtesy of Netflix / Provided by press site with permission.
Dick Johnson Is Dead, the new documentary from director Kirsten Johnson, follows the filmmaker as she explores the decline of her father, Dick Johnson, who is experiencing the difficulties of living with dementia. The fact that he’s starting to forget moments of the past is deeply troubling to both of them, especially since Dick’s deceased wife (Kirsten’s mother) had Alzheimer’s disease.
The film ultimately proves to be an odd look at death and dying, but it’s also a revelation and celebration. Kirsten obviously loves her father, and the feeling is mutual. And they decide to team up and soldier on with this cinematic project.
While others may move toward privacy, Kirsten decides to push the record button during this difficult time in her father’s life. That may test the audience’s acceptance of this experiment, but after spending 90 minutes with this father-daughter duo, it becomes obvious there is no exploitation of Dick’s condition. He is fully on board with whatever might come of this documentary.
And how unique it is! This is not simply a point-and-shoot exposé of a man’s debilitating health. Sure, there are scenes that are emotionally difficult and built around the new reality facing Dick. In one scene, he needs to give up the keys to his car, and he breaks down because of his newfound loss of independence. Then there’s a whole sequence of him selling his beloved home in the Seattle area and moving to the East Coast to reside with his daughter in New York City. He is clearly a stranger in a strangeland.
But honestly those scenes are only part of the effectiveness of this wondrous movie because, well, there’s also Kirsten deciding to celebrate her father’s life by staging his death. That’s right. In several elaborately crafted scenes, Kirsten and her hard-working team decide to “kill” Dick. An air conditioner drops on his head. A man holding a large plank of wood swings in the wrong direction and hits him in the face. There’s blood and screaming.
At first, unbeknownst audience members will fall into the trap and shutter their eyes from the devastating results on the screen. That’s what this reviewer did during the first “death” scene, but then Dick comes back to life, time and time again. Kirsten is not simply having a goof; she’s actually trying to process her father’s inevitable death, and she’s offering an avenue for him to go through the process. These scenes, which are accomplished using Hollywood magic and fancy editing, give Dick the chance to spend quality time with Kirsten and consider what life will be like without … his life.
This interesting approach to Dick and the dementia diagnosis may not sit well with everyone who hits the Play button on Netflix, where it’s currently streaming after a festival run. The ups and downs of seeing Dick die over and over again can be disconcerting and confusing — somehow both hilarious and heartbreaking. This reviewer found himself laughing out loud at Dick’s dedication to life, conversation and love, but also feeling deeply upset that this magnificent man was facing the end of his story.
Kirsten has offered the world a gift in the form of a portrait not only of her dad and of dying, but of this family’s need to savor every last minute they have with this remarkable man. She and her father are present, engaged with each other, and want to have some fun, some reflection and some magic before they are unable to do so. It’s an applause-worthy effort to treat the common theme of losing a parent in such a unique manner.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
Dick Johnson Is Dead (2020). Directed by Kirsten Johnson. Running time: 89 minutes. Rating: 
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