Home Depot unwitting star of documentary

Cox News Service

October 7, 2005

Home Depot unwitting star of documentary

By RENÉE DeGROSS
Cox News Service
Friday, October 07, 2005

ATLANTA — PBS has done a documentary on Wal-Mart, and the movie "Super Size Me" was about McDonald's. Now comes "Don't Box Me In," a documentary about Home Depot.

"Don't Box Me In" chronicles the unsuccessful battle by activists in Coconut Grove, a fashionable part of Miami, to block the Atlanta chain from building a store.

The 35-minute film depicts what director Richard Fendelman calls "development-friendly" politicians pitted against neighborhood activists fighting to keep Home Depot's "ugly big box" out of Coconut Grove.

Fendelman, who has a production company in the area, said he wasn't involved in the battle when asked by a group called Grove First to make the film.

Fendelman said he tried to be neutral and shops at Home Depots himself.

He said his film will be shown to a local club, and DVDs will be given away to build interest.

The film features Home Depot executives at public meetings, though none gave interviews; a conversation with Al Norman, anti-sprawl crusader and author of the book "Slam-Dunking Wal-Mart"; and Grove First activists. "Don't Box Me In" depicts an overdeveloped Miami, including traffic and stacks of Home Depot merchandise, against the backdrop of the artsy Coconut Grove village.

"We can only hope that when the film is released on DVD that it will include bonus scenes of all the happy Coconut Grove residents enjoying their new Home Depot store," said Home Depot spokesman Jerry Shields.

The store's opening date has not been set.

The film could be shown at the 2006 Sundance Film Festival, which gave Fendelman a one-week extension to file his application.

But 700 entries will compete for 16 documentary slots, a Sundance official said.

Renee DeGross writes for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. E-mail: rdegross@ajc.com