Middletown

Middletown

7 Episodes

Inspired by the studies of Robert and Helen Lynd in 1929 and 1935, this classic six-part series by Academy Award and Emmy winner Peter Davis (HEARTS AND MINDS) explores both the continuity and the change embodied in the people and institutions of one Midwestern community: Muncie, Indiana.

"MIDDLETOWN is a masterpiece, one of the most important films ever made of the American experience."—Boston Globe

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Middletown
  • The Campaign

    Episode 1

    Directed by Tom Cohen • Documentary • 1982 • 90 minutes

    Part of the acclaimed Middletown series.

    Focusing on a mayoral race in Muncie, Indiana, THE CAMPAIGN follows closely the personalities, strategies, and pressures of an American political contest. In particular, it examines the sharply cont...

  • The Big Game

    Episode 2

    Directed by E. J. Vaughn • Documentary • 1982 • 60 minutes

    Part of the acclaimed Middletown series.

    As Muncie Central and Anderson High prepare to meet for the annual basketball game, a game charged with the spirit of long-established rivalry, THE BIG GAME examines what this competition, and th...

  • Community of Praise

    Episode 3

    Directed by Richard Leacock and Marisa Silver • Documentary • 1982 • 60 minutes

    Part of the acclaimed Middletown series.

    COMMUNITY OF PRAISE examines faith at work in the lives of a family. Their fundamentalist beliefs shape their encounters with the emergencies and the ordinary problems of dai...

  • Family Business

    Episode 4

    Directed by Tom Cohen • Documentary • 1982 • 90 minutes

    Part of the acclaimed Middletown series.

    Howie Snyder is an archetype: a retired Marine colonel in his mid 40s, he is an American entrepreneur struggling to make his business succeed.

    Howie's Shakey's Pizza franchise in Muncie, Indiana em...

  • Second Time Around

    Episode 5

    Directed by Peter Davis and John Lindley • Documentary • 1982 • 60 minutes

    Part of the acclaimed Middletown series.

    Focusing on the wedding arrangements of David and Elaine, each of whom is a divorcee, SECOND TIME AROUND presents the complexities of contemporary marriage in the United States.

  • Seventeen

    Episode 6

    Directed by Joel DeMott and Jeff Kreines • Documentary • 1982 • 120 minutes

    Part of the acclaimed Middletown series.

    In their final year at Muncie's Southside High School, a group of seniors hurtles toward maturity with a combination of joy, despair, and an aggravated sense of urgency. They are...

  • Middletown - Interview with Peter Davis

    Episode 7

    A short clip of Peter Davis discussing Middletown.