Synopsis
During the radical fervor of the early 1970s, utopian communities dotted the American landscape. They aimed to reshape the world with "free love" and common property, and they excited controversy and fear amongst local residents across the country. Though the idea of communes is now often relegated to a niave past, Berman discovers a successful and lasting, if controversial, legacy at the influential Black Bear Ranch, in Siskiyou County, California. Premised on the idea of "Free Land for Free People," and financed by the largesse of Hollywood rock stars, the founders of Black Bear bought land deep in the wilderness and raised a rough-hewn homestead. Over the years, hundreds would join the community, and life would be complicated by conflicts about the role of women, child-rearing, proper communalist behavior, the FBI, and most traumatically, a child-snatching cult. With archival footage from the early days, and the present-day views of Black Bear members and their offspring, "Commune" is a revealing look at how our most basic choices about family, work, and the nature of our relationships send powerful and lasting shock waves through the fabric of society. Featuring herbalist Michael Tierra, who is credited with rediscovering echinacea; internationally renowned painter Elsa Marley; and actor Peter Coyote.
Metrics
| Opening Weekend: | $2,055 (4.9% of total gross) |
| Legs: | 20.30 (domestic box office/biggest weekend) |
| Domestic Share: | 100.0% (domestic box office/worldwide) |
| Theater counts: | 1 opening theaters/1 max. theaters, 1.0 weeks average run per theater |
| Infl. Adj. Dom. BO | $68,647 |
Latest Ranking on Cumulative Box Office Lists
| Record | Rank | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| All Time Domestic Box Office (Rank 14,201-14,300) | 14,252 | $41,714 |
| All Time Worldwide Box Office (Rank 27,601-27,700) | 27,609 | $41,714 |
| All Time Domestic Highest Grossing Limited Release Movies (Rank 5,901-6,000) | 5,910 | $41,714 |
See the Box Office tab (Domestic) and International tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records.
Movie Details
| Domestic Releases: | May 5th, 2006 (Limited) by Five Points Media |
| Video Release: | October 23rd, 2011 by First Run Home |
| MPAA Rating: | Not Rated |
| Running Time: | 78 minutes |
| Comparisons: | Create your own comparison chart… |
| Keywords: | Environment, Political, Cults, Counterculture, Narcotics, Musicians |
| Source: | Based on Real Life Events |
| Genre: | Documentary |
| Production Method: | Live Action |
| Creative Type: | Factual |
| Production/Financing Companies: | Five Points Media |
| Production Countries: | United States |
| Languages: | English |