George Washington (2000) + Extras [The Criterion Collection]

Over the course of one hot summer, a group of children in the decaying rural South must confront a tangle of difficult choices. An ambitiously constructed, elegantly photographed meditation on adolescence, the first full-length film by director David Gordon Green features remarkable performances from an award-winning ensemble cast. George Washington is a startling and distinct work of contemporary American independent cinema.



Audio Commentary - this audio commentary with writer-director David Gordon Green, cinematographer Tim Orr, and actor Paul Schneider

Extras:
– A Day With the Boys (1969) - this very atmospheric short film, directed by Clu Gulager (The Killers) and lensed by Laszlo Kovacs (Ghostbusters), apparently was an influence on George Washington. The film is complimented by a terrific soundtrack (18 min)
– Physical Pinball - David Gordon Green directed this short film two years after Pleasant Grove, again while he was a student at at the North Carolina School of the Arts. The film follows closely an African American father who suddenly realizes that his daughter has become a young woman (21 min)
– Pleasant Grove - this short film directed by David Gordon Green was the inspiration for George Washington. In was completed in 1996, while the young director was a student at the North Carolina School of the Arts. The film is presented with optional commentary by David Gordon, cinematographer Tim Orr, and Paul Schneider (15 min).