Point Washington Outlaws: Film Review

In the current landscape and industry of filmmaking bigger, faster, better seems to be winning out. Audiences have shorter attention spans and demand bigger “bang” for their buck. Fewer and far between are the films that take their time and weave a story, allowing it to flow and unfold in a natural way. Specifically, with documentary filmmaking there also seems to be a trend toward flashier, more fast-paced story telling. Cramming in high-tech edits and sound and special effects, graphics, drone shots and A.I. generated images- the list goes on and on. All in the name of progress and outdoing the competition. What happened to good old fashion storytelling? Well, with “Point Washington Outlaws” director Kirby Clements gives us something truly unique and seemingly necessary in today’s filmmaking world. A break for our senses from the onslaught of media. A chance to relax and sit and watch and listen. A simple good old fashion story told by some wonderful, salt of the earth, good old storytellers. No glitz, no tech, just a handful of old fellas who know their history. The history of Point Washington, Florida.

The documentary centers around four men who grew up and have ties to this northwestern part of Florida, mainly, Point Washington and the surrounding area. Each of them distinct in their demeanor and personality, but all with the same purpose. Preserve, protect, honor and uplift Point Washington, Florida. The film opens right away, first shot, on one of our storytellers. Most documentaries may start with a bit of background or exposition to give the viewer some context, but Outlaws of Point Washingtons differs in that aspect. The viewer is introduced to the first storyteller from frame one. This gives the film a very intimate and unperturbed downhome feel. Like we have been invited in on something special, a secret we are about to be let in on. And it’s a very enticing and immediately engaging way to begin.

The film opens on James Foley. Foley is quite the character and shares a variety of stories about the area. His tale begins with the native tribes and indigenous people to that area of Florida. He regales the viewer with information about the beginnings of civilization in this untamed region of the south. He talks about the “southern trail of tears”, how native people were pushed out by the “white devil”, and later when European immigrants came and tried to adapt to this wild place. He speaks to his family arriving, the “Foley Clan”, all tough as nails and boxers by tradition. Foley’s knowledge and background is quite extensive, and he weaves these colloquial tales at a folksy, laid-back pace. His humor and the color of his temperament come through in such an honest way. We are along for the ride as he shares secrets and behind the scenes experiences, all while painting a vivid picture of what it was like to grow up, come of age, and live as a young man in Point Washington, Florida. The friends and colleagues he forged life-long relationships with. The people that would be influential in preserving this beautiful neck of the woods. It’s beaches, coves, rivers, and community.

Foley tees us up beautifully for the rest of the film, introducing the other members of the “outlaws” with fond remembrance and pride. The viewer almost wants to crack a beer alongside him as sips and recounts the tales of his youth and his region. Of drug-smuggling, renegade architects and hippies, of protecting culture and history. Clements, the filmmaker was wise to set up shooting in this way. No distractions. Just an intimate sit down with a guy who has some great stories to share. And if the viewer is willing, he or she will be transported to another time. That is how good storytelling should be.

From here the film goes on to introduce the other “outlaws”. Each as distinct in their personality, rich in knowledge of the region, and their personal histories as Foley himself. We meet Robert Davis, resident brilliant architect, who landed in Seaside as a permanent resident in the late 1970’s. For Davis’s piece, the viewer learns about the thoughtfulness and care put into planning the communities of the area. Davis poured himself into studying the architecture of the Mediterranean coasts of France and Italy, of the coastal towns of the southern US- all in effort to preserve and re-create the old coastal towns of Florida. Davis relays stories of his youth and coming to Grayton Beach as a child. And here again, we meet a man who has a lot of love and care for a cherished place. A man who became part of a group trying to “keep it from being overrun by the mindless expansion of American building practices.”

The film then moves seamlessly into the next section, and we are met with quite the historian and character, Gid Godwin. One of the “outlaws” who takes the viewer on a tour of current Point Washington and Eden State Gardens. When Godwin begins speaking about his childhood and working for pennies to help clean up and restore this beautiful estate, the love and fondness he has for this place rings through. It is very apparent there is something special and magical about this place and it is at this point in the film the viewer really begins to understand why this documentary was made. There is truly something deep and profound about this section of Northwest Florida. A “haven for children to be raised”, as Godwin puts it. There is a small group of people, these outlaws, as they call themselves, that have a lot of pride and love and an earnest sense of protection and stewardship for this place.

As the film rolls into the last section, we meet Larry Barrett. Complete with crisp tee-shirt, handlebar mustache, and alert crystal-blue eyes, Barrett is direct yet affable, even charming. He recounts tales of his youth in the area: of a family lineage dating back 170 years, of growing up in the old general store that his father, a military man, bought and took over from family in the 1940s. He tells of living in and dealing with the elements and wilderness of NW Florida. Of mosquitoes and crocodiles, of cattle roaming wild and the would-be cattle rustlers, and even rearing baby bears. Barrett, a former Navy Seal, engages the viewer with detailed stories about coming up here in a time when there was still very little development and very little law enforcement. It was “still the wild west here” into the 1970s. Men took care of things themselves; he recounts, “settled things with fists and guns.”

The film is a fascinating and heartwarming look at a little forgotten place that had the chance to standstill in time for a while. A time before tourism and corporate development could sink its claws in. The wild wild west of America remained strong and untamed for quite some time in and around Point Washington, Florida. And the people and stories to come out of it are unique gems, worthy of being immortalized on film.

With this film, Clements has given audiences such a specific and intimate look at a place which at its heart holds a rich and varied history. For audiences interested in historical geography, the roots of indigenous people, power struggles, and real-life dramas this is a documentary to watch. “Outlaws of Point Washington” is a love letter to a specific time and place, for that alone it is worth watching. The film becomes a voice for such personal and colorful information about this patch of Florida and we receive it from those who lived it and experienced and can tell the story as only they could.

Watch this film to catch a glimpse, a snapshot of a moment in history. A moment suspended in time by the architecture that holds it up. By the people who fought to keep it pristine and historically relevant. By the outlaws who keep it alive with the stories of their history, their folk, and their home.