dwehling Better late than never comes to mind right now... I turned this deeply emotional and raw movie on and at first almost turned it off prematurely. I thought the concept of it was wonderful but almost too lovey dovey. Then that changed significantly. This movie hurt, not in a literal sense, but brought up some real emotions I forget about or at least neglect to acknowledge. I was one of the lucky ones. Taken from an abusive father just after my first birthday and he was incarcerated and kept in jail for the things he had done, not only to me but to others. I was protected, cared for by an incredible foster home and adopted by my incredible parents. The system didn't fail me like it often does for the defenseless. I am so sorry this happened to you. My uncontrollable tears are frustrating as I write this but nonetheless important and inspiring. I've worked in youth advocacy for the last 8 1/2 years and this is another reminder to me why I do this work and what an impact it makes on my daily life. To everyone in this film, especially Kate and David, thank you for everything you did and do. Thank you for making this film and making real change. I will pass it forward and remember to always be an advocate for those we have failed. You are stronger and more resilient than most in this word. You did everything. Love from Chicago.

gnarlycharlie34 This documentary is a thing of beauty. I fancied watching a true crime documentary so I googled the top documentaries to watch and this came up as an option. It is quite different to any other true crime documentary I have seen as it focuses heavily on the emotional side of things. I almost turned it off after 10 minutes as I wasn't really in the mood for what I could tell was going to be a tearjerker but I'm glad I stuck with it. I think it is best to just watch Dear Zachary without reading too much into it so I won't go into any more detail for this review but all I can say is it touched me like no documentary ever has.

Rob Starzec Dear Zachary attempts to reach the son of Andrew Bagby, a man who was murdered by his lover, Shirley, the woman who was pregnant with his son. The footage portraying Andrew Bagby proves to show how he was a man with a big heart and touched many of his friends' lives. Andrew probably had more friends in his adulthood than the average prom king would have had during his high school years.The events in this film are true as it is a documentary. The various interviews touch on Bagby's life, his death, what the interviewees want to say to his son and how the legal system needs to be reformed. Thus, as many documentaries do, this one touches on a wide variety of topics and themes while it tries to remain focused on one story as a whole. The problem is that a real story has many parts, many angles, many side stories that it needs to be represented differently than a fictional film. It is difficult to structure facts and interviews into a cohesive story with a three act structure. Details are thrown at you to digest, and some documentaries are less clear in their point than others. The documentary focusing on the Bagby's, however, keeps the viewer intrigued and leaves them heartbroken at points with tragic events (other than the death of Andrew).There is a clear "first act" with this film as it begins by detailing Andrew's death and how he touched others, but the second and third "acts" seem to blend together. It is unclear what the climax of this documentary was supposed to be as there are at least 2 or 3 moments of high interest which seem to bring different points across, but they are important points not matter how different they are. This documentary explores the true nature of love versus evil in interesting ways and should be viewed by people who are looking for a good cause to fight for.3.0/4.0

Maz Murdoch (asda-man) I've seen a lot of depressing films and consider myself somewhat of a connoisseur of the sub-genre. I love tragic films like Dancer in the Dark, Amour, Martyrs etc. all of which have reduced me to teary eyes which is something I never normally do. Dear Zachary is without a doubt the most heart-wrenchingly devastating film I have ever seen. Nothing I've seen has come close to the sheer power of this film.I went in almost totally blind and would urge everyone else to do the same. Dear Zachary left me utterly stunned and I'm sure if I didn't watch it with my family then I would've broken down into sobs. Tears clouded my vision, my heart thumped like a train, chills covered my spine and my lip quivered. This might sound like a regular occurrence for the more sensitive amongst you who weep at Marley and Me and Beaches, but no film has ever affected me so physically like Dear Zachary has.It's impossible to rate and review this film because to do so would take away its importance. Dear Zachary is beyond a rating, it's absolutely crucial viewing for everyone to see how the law can absolutely wreck people's lives. The film is made by one Zachary's father's closest friends so it's made with a raging passion which grabs you right from the start. There are images and sounds within which will haunt you forever.No fictional film could ever come up with a story as shocking as this.