There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane (2011)
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Another hard-hitting documentary from HBO takes a look at the tragic case of Diane Shuler, the woman who drove the wrong way down a NY highway and eventually killed herself, her daughter, three nieces as well as three men in the other vehicle. Her family, and especially her widowed husband, believes that the toxicology reports saying she was drunk were incorrect so he tries to use this documentary to clear her name, which doesn't happen. Watching this film you can't help but get angry and sad. Sad because so many innocent lives were lost in what appears to be a drunk driving case at best and at worse perhaps some sort of suicide on the part of Diane. There are several theories given about what happened and it's clear that her husband wants to clear her name but it really does seem as if he's just trying to come up with anything to get over his grief. One really can't blame him for how he feels but at the same time I grew angry at him for coming up with anything to clear his wife. This includes saying the toxicology reports were wrong and he even wants to question a third report that pretty much confirms she was drunk. The film works pretty well as a mystery as one starts to think that something "other" happened to Diane but to me it was pretty obvious she was drunk no matter what else she was feeling. The documentary also interviews the three male victim's families and it's rather heartbreaking to hear them say they were preparing a meal when the three didn't make it home for it. THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH AUNT DIANE isn't a very easy film to watch but it certainly makes you appreciate time with her family because you simply never know when something like this could happen.
*** 1/2 (out of 4)
Another hard-hitting documentary from HBO takes a look at the tragic case of Diane Shuler, the woman who drove the wrong way down a NY highway and eventually killed herself, her daughter, three nieces as well as three men in the other vehicle. Her family, and especially her widowed husband, believes that the toxicology reports saying she was drunk were incorrect so he tries to use this documentary to clear her name, which doesn't happen. Watching this film you can't help but get angry and sad. Sad because so many innocent lives were lost in what appears to be a drunk driving case at best and at worse perhaps some sort of suicide on the part of Diane. There are several theories given about what happened and it's clear that her husband wants to clear her name but it really does seem as if he's just trying to come up with anything to get over his grief. One really can't blame him for how he feels but at the same time I grew angry at him for coming up with anything to clear his wife. This includes saying the toxicology reports were wrong and he even wants to question a third report that pretty much confirms she was drunk. The film works pretty well as a mystery as one starts to think that something "other" happened to Diane but to me it was pretty obvious she was drunk no matter what else she was feeling. The documentary also interviews the three male victim's families and it's rather heartbreaking to hear them say they were preparing a meal when the three didn't make it home for it. THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH AUNT DIANE isn't a very easy film to watch but it certainly makes you appreciate time with her family because you simply never know when something like this could happen.