Thank You and Good Night
Thank You and Good Night
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1h 18m
Directed by Jan Oxenberg • 1991 • United States
A lost-and-found revelation from indie film and TV maverick Jan Oxenberg is a docu-fantasy narrative focused on the filmmaker’s hilarious, messy, Jewish family as they prepare to say goodbye to someone they love. Narrated by a cardboard cutout of Oxenberg’s scowling child self, THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT takes us on a journey through the proceedings, attempting to defeat death and never say goodbye. An early Sundance hit but virtually unseen for decades, the film reemerges as a singular, uncategorizable exploration of the meaning of life, death, and the tangled stuff that is a family. In this poignant, hilarious, and complex reflection on letting go, Oxenberg innovatively transforms personal tragedy into universally resonant art that is now claiming its rightful place as a classic of independent cinema.
Up Next in Thank You and Good Night
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Jan Oxenberg Interview
This interview with filmmaker Jan Oxenberg was recorded in 2020.
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Home Movie
Directed by Jan Oxenberg • 1973 • United States
Using her family’s home movies and her talent for parody, Jan Oxenberg gives herself a cheerful lesbian childhood. “The thing I liked best about being a cheerleader was being with the other cheerleaders . . . the football match was just an excuse.”
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A Comedy in Six Unnatural Acts
Directed by Jan Oxenberg • 1975 • United States
In this witty Hollywood send-up, Jan Oxenberg satirizes a variety of film genres and the ways in which they perpetuate lesbian stereotypes.
