Gummo ***half

Gummo ***half
genre:  cult film, fictional docu-drama, no romance docu-drama on America with mainly non-actors

director:  Korine Harmony

This is a grainy, catch as catch can style film on poor people of America.  75% scripted.  Poor, not only in resources but often mental illness, and tornado ravaged environment - but you could see that even pre-tornado, it wouldn't have been very much better.  The lively parts are the young children full of life and joy in ordinary living, swimming in a plastic pool in the rain; kissing for fun in an non-exclusive, non romantic way.
Compared to the film "paperboy" this is much more fresh looking and its shot in 1997.  Harmony's method and rules to makings this film is v interesting.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gummo.
A visual film maker, its an unusual setting in America - we see mid-West small towns for what they really are.

'The film was shot in some of Nashville's poorest neighborhoods. Producer Cary Woods comments, "we're essentially seeing the kind of poverty that we're used to seeing in Third World countries when news crews are covering famines, [but] seeing that in the heart of America." 

The film's portrayal of "poor white trash" has garnered both glowing reviews and thunderous condemnations for its disturbing content and unusual style, which is simultaneously hyperrealistic and surreal.'

 Errol Morris has a similar "reality" focus, but Errol Morris is a much more polished ad man, his films are extremely well designed and researched.

The subjects they both cover are in the same global ball park arena.  Away from glossy myth of refinements and successful dreams of America - its everyday life for a lot of people.