Customer Reviews

"It was a tragic and sad documentary. Needs a bit of editing for sections which seem repetitive, but over all, an interesting story about a tragic man. I live in Chicago and remember his show on WTTW."

"I thought it was well-balanced and well-done. It didn’t whitewash the Frugal Gourmet’s less-admirable traits (a temper, alcohol abuse and — most disturbingly — a predilection for teenage boys) but it balances that with positive reflections on his work ethic, his natural, dynamic presence on camera and the degree to which he helped Americans expand their palates. He emerges as a very flawed, complex and ultimately broken human being. I felt the editing was a little self-indulgent: A few too many long, lingering looks at people staring pensively and Seattle/Tacoma skylines. (at one point, I thought, “The director obviously loves architecture.) Overall, however, a very thorough examination of a life that seemed gilded — until the FG’s own self-indulgence, entitlement and lust forever tarnished it."

"This brought up a lot of emotions for me. It's a very good documentary. The documentary was started about 4± years ago. Long. In-depth. A lot of background. Some things are repetitive. I think it could've been tightened to maybe 3 or 4 episodes. It does give insight into the man. Unfortunately, only 1 family member agreed to be interviewed. Neither of his children were interviewed. The absence of his children from his life and this documentary is stark and, to me, exceptionally sad. There were interviews of several of his victims as well as the reporters who reported on the scandals and alleged crimes. "Alleged" because the statute of limitations had expired for those crimes. His assistant, "Craig," with whom he co-authored and gave co-billing on one book/series, was not interviewed. The assistant who was hired after Craig's departure was interviewed. I wonder where his children stand in all this. A deeply troubled man with a very complicated legacy."

"Fairly and equally represented sides of a sad story. So many lives ruined, and for what?"

"Very well done. Neutral approach. Told by those who knew him the best for better or for worse. I purchased because I support independent projects that deserve attention. I hope there is another in the pipeline."

"This documentary was fair to both sides. At no time were the accusers lessened as victims, nor was the subject glorified as above the law. I remember watching The Frugal Gourmet but do not remember this "scandal" at all, probably due to my age (19) at the time."

"I watched the entire series (something I rarely do). It was fascinating, easy to watch, well shot, nice lighting, interesting & reasonable friends/ reviewers. The film left us too draw our own conclusions. I felt depressed afterwords, that such a fascinating & enthusiastic person was so oppressed by the times that he had to resort to immoral acts on teens. I remember Jeff from UOP. I can still recall his voice in my mind. Glad to see the film, interesting times. No excuse for his behavior, but interesting to see the responses to his conviction. His fandom couldn’t accept that he had done anything wrong."

"showed the story from before he was famous through his work success"

"I thoroughly enjoyed this documentary!!! It really showed you the conflict of knowing someone a watching them for so may years and then finding out the truth! It was very, very sad. Hoping Chris makes some more of these for us to enjoy!"

"The documentary was good but long. Everything was covered from the beginning to the end. The doc answered many questions for me."

"I’d watched the Frugal Gourmet as a kid and was curious how & why it went away. That curiosity, some 50 years later, has been assuaged by this thorough and thoughtful documentary. A sad reality whose relevance in today’s world is that those with wealth & power aren’t faced with the same rule of law as those without. We’ve known that but it leaches out in our society in far larger amounts now than in the past. Thanks for a revealing documentary about Jeff Smith. What’s the next project?"

"This was an excellent documentary! I honestly had no idea about Jeff Smith's downfall. Very interesting information and commentary from people who worked with him and (unfortunately) those who were victimized by him."