[graciegirl]

Originally Posted by Boomer

“Oh would some power the gift give us
To see ourselves as others see us.”

Robert Burns, Scotland’s most famous poet, wrote those lines in 1786.

Actually, he wrote those words like this. . .

“O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us.”

(I had to wrestle spellcheck into finally letting me type Burns’ Scottish dialect.)

Of course, 235 years ago, Burns was not writing about a documentary. But like all writers, he knew plenty about human nature.

I just read a couple of other articles about this film. One was in Variety and the other one can be found at
businessdoceurope.com — if you want to read that one Google the site with the words, the bubble, and you’ll get there. Not everything said in the articles was mean.

Boomer

Have YOU seen the film?

Don has shared how he was hoodwinked. Most of us know Don by his reputation and appreciate his drone videos keeping us up on how The Villages is growing.

I don't like kids coming in here ....and from other countries even, finding a way to make fun and be derisive of us mostly nice LAW ABIDING people who have worked hard to have a home and retirement here.

I find some comments are laden with hostility that has nothing to do with this film.

I am from Ohio too and I didn't just fall off the turnip truck.

I've read a few poems myself.

[Tmarkwald]

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut

Unfortunately, I was involved in the making of this film, I did a majority of the drone photography (not the illegal flight in Spanish Springs). I owe everyone and the developer an apology for having any part in this, another typical hit piece on The Villages. I was hesitant to get involved and was even given forewarning by district staff about this crew being here. When I spoke to Valerie her story was that "they had nothing like The Villages in Europe" and that "retirement was a lot different there", she wanted to expose Europeans to a different idea for retirement. I was naive and tried, as always, to see the good in people, I was a fool. I'm sure she used the same line of BS on the other Villages residents that were involved.

The film starts out with a preacher espousing moving "here" for retirement, I couldn't help but to think of the likes of someone like Jim Jones, or some other cult leader. It's doesn't say were they're at and without that context it infers this is the way it is in The Villages.

There are many shots of activities going on here in The Villages that are shot to make the residents look somewhat foolish and this is further amplified by the silly music playing in the background.
Speaking of music, every shot of a town square has WVLG playing in the background with commercials for homes for sale playing, not music, here again the selective soundtrack is used to push their biased narrative and agenda. And we can't forget that somehow every TV seen in the film is always showing Fox News.

In one scene they show a golf cart just blowing through a stop sign, obviously Villages couldn't give a hoot about the law. I know there are some who will blow through a stop sign, but the vast majority of the people I know and see here in The Villages do always stop for stop signs and obey the traffic laws. But of course, the law-abiding residents don't make for a good story, do they?

Of course, all of use Americans are gun toting rednecks and The Villages is a mecca for them according to this movie. I'm not sure where the gun range they showed in the film is located, but it's not in The Villages, neither is the gun shop they showed, a fact that was conveniently left out.

A lot of the film is spent on the anti-Villages crowd that blames The Villages for being greedy and buying the land to develop and creating only low paying service jobs. Left out of course is that someone sold the land to The Villages, and why was that, for the money. Their former neighbors were being greedy. While there are low paying service jobs created, there are also thousands of good paying construction and construction related jobs created by the growth of The Villages. Did I miss the part of the film where they talked about many entrepreneurs in the area that have made their fortunes and higher thousands more individuals? Oh, that's right, they left that part out.

The way that residents were used in the film was embarrassing and shameful. They chose one couple and portrayed them as "typical" couple, she had a physical impediment due to surgery and he was a rather large bellied suspender wearing simpleton. I felt bad for the couple the way they were used, I seriously doubt they are as portrayed. Another lady was portrayed as vain, materialistic, and self-centered to make it seem the norm for The Villages.

A big deal is made of the water usage here in The Villages, showing lots of sprinklers running all the time. We represent less that 2% of the daily influx of people into the state of Florida, but we are responsible for all the water shortages. Did they mention the nationally recognized water retention/reuse systems here in The Villages? Of course not.

No hit piece on The Villages would be complete without the vitriol and contempt for The Village of Orlando's Lauren Ritchie. She throws her usual barbs and misinformed criticisms in at every turn of the film. According to her "most people are kind of brainwashed" and of course "they really feel entitled to let go". Of course, according to her we are all just a bunch of racist because "there aren't any minorities" in The Villages. The people who live here are here by their own choice without regards to race, religion, and any other popular social divider. The developer is, just like every other business, color blind, all they see is green when it comes to selling a home.

I will give credit where credit is due, there were many statements by the residents that were very positive about The Villages, our community, and living here, and these were left in.

This film crew came to The Villages, rented a home in the Lopez area, lived it up and enjoyed the amenities this community had to offer, all the while with a less than honorable and objective motive in mind. Eurotrash! Stay in Austria, and don't bother coming back to our country and community! You're not welcome here.

I could go on about the film, I took 2 pages of notes when I wasn't yelling at the computer as I watch this junk, but I think you get the picture, it's just another hit piece about us and our community. Is our community perfect? Of course not, we have our flaws and idiosyncrasies, but I think most will agree, there's not a better place to retire and enjoy our golden years.

Don't waste your time watching this movie, it will just make you mad.

Thank you for writing this. There is a distinct difference between reality and selective reality. They have obviously decided to focus nearly entirely on negatives, leaving out objectivity.

It would be nice to see a bit of film that espouses the whole picture of TV, rather than make documentaries that aren't really documentaries, but rather direct attacks on TV. Could this have been done to provoke hate and loathing against TV and American excesses? I wouldn't doubt that there are those out there that would love that....

And as far as gun-toting Americans? We haven't been invaded nor defeated in a world war, so these people can kiss my a$$ ....

[angiefox10]

Originally Posted by Northwoods

Just an FYI - one of your commissioners (Mr Miller) said in a Facebook post about the movie “makes you think if you have an open mind.” His wife said “I watched the video. It’s very thought provoking. I think they did a good job with it.”

I think it’s always good to understand where your elected official’s “head is at” when it comes to YOUR priorities.

I wasn't going to watch the film either. I watched the previous film and felt it was awful and done poorly.


I'm not sure how saying a video is "thought provoking" or "makes you think if you have an open mind" has anything to do with YOUR priorities.

There are many people in here making comments and haven't watched it. I did watch it. I felt I understood the folks who lived outside The Villages better and the people who lives outside The Villages have told me they understand the residents of The Villages better as well.

I just happen to think things work better when you can listen to each other and work to understand. I would think you would want that in a commissioner.

Calling people names and making assumptions is never good.

Ya'll have a nice day... Please try not to judge until you have listened to the other side and especially not when you haven't watched the film you are judging.

[Dahabs]

Originally Posted by Gpsma

Any production that doesnt reinforce that you live in paradise and made the best decision of your life is immediately panned.

She said nothing wrong. Yep...we live in a bubble

Totally agree. What's wrong with a little commentary even some if it is critical. Gotta admit, The Villages is kind of unique. Lots going for it but not going to be everybody's cup of tea.

Listening to some of the interviewees recently does make me cringe.

[rustyp]

All this fuss about a movie ? Why ? Stereotyping inaccuracies ? Settle down and watch a rerun of Blazing Saddles today.

[Girlcopper]

Originally Posted by stanley

Didn't we already go through this and the thread was closed?

Yes, Yawn.....here we go again. Old news. Who cares???

[golfing eagles]

Originally Posted by OrangeBlossomBaby

I don't know why they'd only have these two documentaries. I think too many groupies are so intent on proving how wonderful the Villages is, they take offense when anyone offers any criticism at all.

It seems like most of what Goldwingnut describes, tracks. There are Villagers who drive through stop signs. The radio station in the town squares really does have ads selling the Villages. The vast majority of TVs at restaurants really are set on Fox, and the vast majority of Villagers are Fox-watching Republicans. There really are damaged humans who live in the Villages.

Why are you taking offense to that? It's all true. Why would you be offended by the truth, unless you're ashamed of the truth? Are you that fearful of flaws, that you reject anything that doesn't fit your idea of perfection and take pot-shots at it, and create... (CHECK THE IRONY HERE) a hit-piece thread to rage against the movie?

Yes, it really does sound like a negative critique coming from the perspective of "people who live in the area but don't live in the Villages." Their perspective is equally as valid as yours. The only difference is, your perspective sells houses. Their perspective sells movie tickets.

yeah, and the video of Derek Chauvin was true also. But do you think it was representative of all police officers????? Taking a small, minority view snippet and implying it is the norm is pretty much the definition of a hit piece. And then to trick solid citizens into helping them is beyond despicable. I agree with the term "Eurotrash" for these "filmmakers"

[Skunky1]

Most newcomers to the villages are fascinated! It’s a little bit like going to Disney the first time. Soon we find it is another façade. A bubble filled with all the joys, troubles, heartaches of any big city.

[Villagesgal]

Look for the bad, you'll find the bad. Look for the good, you'll find the good. This applies everywhere. Unfortunately the good doesn't sell, unfortunately the bad sells. We who actually live here for the most part love it here and know this sort of movie is BS. I've been here 20 years and still love it. I'm pretty sure I'm not brainwashed and I'm very sure I love doing as I please attending classes, doing sports, enjoying the live bands, and volunteering my time to help others in the surrounding communities. Life here is wonderful, who cares what nay sayers think. Enjoy your lives Villagers, enjoy every day that God gives you.

[patrickj]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

All I can say is that when we are at our Villages home I NEVER wish we could get back north, but when we are up north I am always counting the days until I can get back to the Villages. I am NEVER bored while in the Villages, other places not so much. Who cares what anyone else's opinion of the Villages is?

Agreed. Wait till there work days end and they find out their community spends next to nothing on elder activities.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by golfing eagles

yeah, and the video of Derek Chauvin was true also. But do you think it was representative of all police officers????? Taking a small, minority view snippet and implying it is the norm is pretty much the definition of a hit piece. And then to trick solid citizens into helping them is beyond despicable. I agree with the term "Eurotrash" for these "filmmakers"

Of course I don't think it was representative of all police officers. But it was certainly representative of the situation.

The same is true about the movie the Bubble. And anyone who chooses to believe that this singular movie is the one true authority on all things Villages, is someone you wouldn't want as your neighbor anyway.

[Beyond The Wall]

A great bubble that outsiders want to burst

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

Originally Posted by graciegirl

Why would we be offended??????????????????????

Because this is the place we call home now. This is where our friends live. This is where we welcome family. This is a beautiful place that we are proud of and most of us think it only has minor flaws.

Some people from the very beginning of their posts have been negative. Some say their husband wanted to move here, not them. Some don't like the paper or the majority views of the population.

I am not that someone. I have loved this place from the beginning. I am glad to be with people who are in the same stage of life I am and have largely experienced the same kind of life. I love that this place is clean and nice and well run and has a place to live for almost all wage brackets. Most of us feel so lucky to live here.

I am so proud to call The Villages home.

Hint: this thread isn't about you, or your likes and dislikes, or your personal experience in the Villages. It's not about mine either.

It's about insulting people who created a very negative movie about a place that has flaws. Whether YOU recognize the flaws or not, they exist. This movie exploits those flaws to push an agenda. The flaws are real. They are true, factual. What is ALSO factual is that there are posters here who are posting about how it is bad to insult people - while insulting the people they're criticizing.

It's about pots calling kettles black. Not me, not you. You can't find anything wrong with the bubble you live in, because you've chosen to surround yourself in the safety of your own bubble, and isolated yourself from the rest of reality. That's your prerogative.

The rest of the world exists. The bubble YOU live in, is not the bubble every single resident of the Villages lives in. Your bubble is that of your own mind. Don't hate just because someone else's bubble isn't identical to yours. You can continue living in your own bubble of your own creation, oblivious to the rest of humanity. There's nothing for you to be insulted by. You are in your safe space.

[charlieo1126@gmail.com]

Originally Posted by Goldwingnut

Unfortunately, I was involved in the making of this film, I did a majority of the drone photography (not the illegal flight in Spanish Springs). I owe everyone and the developer an apology for having any part in this, another typical hit piece on The Villages. I was hesitant to get involved and was even given forewarning by district staff about this crew being here. When I spoke to Valerie her story was that "they had nothing like The Villages in Europe" and that "retirement was a lot different there", she wanted to expose Europeans to a different idea for retirement. I was naive and tried, as always, to see the good in people, I was a fool. I'm sure she used the same line of BS on the other Villages residents that were involved.

The film starts out with a preacher espousing moving "here" for retirement, I couldn't help but to think of the likes of someone like Jim Jones, or some other cult leader. It's doesn't say were they're at and without that context it infers this is the way it is in The Villages.

There are many shots of activities going on here in The Villages that are shot to make the residents look somewhat foolish and this is further amplified by the silly music playing in the background.
Speaking of music, every shot of a town square has WVLG playing in the background with commercials for homes for sale playing, not music, here again the selective soundtrack is used to push their biased narrative and agenda. And we can't forget that somehow every TV seen in the film is always showing Fox News.

In one scene they show a golf cart just blowing through a stop sign, obviously Villages couldn't give a hoot about the law. I know there are some who will blow through a stop sign, but the vast majority of the people I know and see here in The Villages do always stop for stop signs and obey the traffic laws. But of course, the law-abiding residents don't make for a good story, do they?

Of course, all of use Americans are gun toting rednecks and The Villages is a mecca for them according to this movie. I'm not sure where the gun range they showed in the film is located, but it's not in The Villages, neither is the gun shop they showed, a fact that was conveniently left out.

A lot of the film is spent on the anti-Villages crowd that blames The Villages for being greedy and buying the land to develop and creating only low paying service jobs. Left out of course is that someone sold the land to The Villages, and why was that, for the money. Their former neighbors were being greedy. While there are low paying service jobs created, there are also thousands of good paying construction and construction related jobs created by the growth of The Villages. Did I miss the part of the film where they talked about many entrepreneurs in the area that have made their fortunes and higher thousands more individuals? Oh, that's right, they left that part out.

The way that residents were used in the film was embarrassing and shameful. They chose one couple and portrayed them as "typical" couple, she had a physical impediment due to surgery and he was a rather large bellied suspender wearing simpleton. I felt bad for the couple the way they were used, I seriously doubt they are as portrayed. Another lady was portrayed as vain, materialistic, and self-centered to make it seem the norm for The Villages.

A big deal is made of the water usage here in The Villages, showing lots of sprinklers running all the time. We represent less that 2% of the daily influx of people into the state of Florida, but we are responsible for all the water shortages. Did they mention the nationally recognized water retention/reuse systems here in The Villages? Of course not.

No hit piece on The Villages would be complete without the vitriol and contempt for The Village of Orlando's Lauren Ritchie. She throws her usual barbs and misinformed criticisms in at every turn of the film. According to her "most people are kind of brainwashed" and of course "they really feel entitled to let go". Of course, according to her we are all just a bunch of racist because "there aren't any minorities" in The Villages. The people who live here are here by their own choice without regards to race, religion, and any other popular social divider. The developer is, just like every other business, color blind, all they see is green when it comes to selling a home.

I will give credit where credit is due, there were many statements by the residents that were very positive about The Villages, our community, and living here, and these were left in.

This film crew came to The Villages, rented a home in the Lopez area, lived it up and enjoyed the amenities this community had to offer, all the while with a less than honorable and objective motive in mind. Eurotrash! Stay in Austria, and don't bother coming back to our country and community! You're not welcome here.

I could go on about the film, I took 2 pages of notes when I wasn't yelling at the computer as I watch this junk, but I think you get the picture, it's just another hit piece about us and our community. Is our community perfect? Of course not, we have our flaws and idiosyncrasies, but I think most will agree, there's not a better place to retire and enjoy our golden years.

Don't waste your time watching this movie, it will just make you mad.

to give me the Money Back ???

[RDhot]

Can’t get in? Lmao