"The Parking Lot Movie"

I'm not sure how she came upon this film, but I must endlessly thank my friend Annie for suggesting it to me.

Despite its mundane title, this eye-opening documentary presents a scintillating look into the world of parking lot attendants; however, this particular parking lot-- with its unique set of employees-- represents an aberration to the stereotypical notion of service-sector jobs. The film follows the self-proclaimed "ragtag group of fractured poets"-- which consists of graduate students, artists, philosophers, musicians, and just plain slackers-- in their diurnal duties as parking lot attendants. This brotherhood of Kerouacian intellects describe the job as a rite of passage, a pathway to the Buddhist perspective, an invitation to discover themselves free of any obfuscations. Needless to say, the Zen mentality of the workers certainly clashes with the philosophy (or lack thereof) of the parking lot's patrons. Between the attendants' unanimous contempt for SUVs and dissident Greek-affilliated undergraduates, the interactions linking the employees and customers are, at times, cringeworthy. The attendants prefer bicycles and skateboards to motor vehicles, and as a result everyday on the job is seen as waging some kind of private war against the elites. However, despite this class warfare, the parking lot attendants possess a passion for the workplace rarely seen in any occupation; it's a place to shoot the shit, study the art of doing nothing, or play a relaxed game of "flip cone"-- a sort of utopia.

This film will capsize your perception of service-job employees and instill a newfound respect. A testament to the fact that intelligence is not commensurate to money, but that intellect breeds a distinct and necessary curiosity--a curiosity often frowned upon. For anyone who enjoys documentaries and can also relate to feeling like an anomaly. I give "The Parking Lot Movie" a 4.5/5.