In January 1970, on his twenty-first birthday, Michael James Brody Jr. announced he would give away his inheritance of $25M for “peace in the world.”
On June 2, the First Tuesday SMTX Film Series will present “Dear Mr. Brody,” a moving documentary by Emmy-winning Director Keith Maitland about Brody’s surprising announcement and the psychedelic spiral of events that followed.
As heir to the Jelke oleomargarine fortune, Brody “wrote thousands of dollars worth of personal checks and distributed his largesse to all who asked,” writes IMDb biographer Jane Margaret Laight.
“The response was so overwhelming,” Laight writes, that “soon he had to go into hiding at about the same time many recipients of his checks found, when they attempted to cash them, that they were worthless, since the bank they were drawn on refused to honor them.”
Fifty years later, an enormous cache of unopened letters from people asking for money was discovered.
In “Dear Mr. Brody,” director Keith Maitland chronicled the events of Brody’s intended philanthropy and, in doing so, has created a deeply-moving meditation on desire, need, philanthropy and love.
Reviewers of the 2021 film discussed its impact on viewers. Variety magazine wrote: “A poignant investigation of universal dreams.” The Hollywood Reporter said, “A surprising statement of American hope.” And IndieWire called it, “Riveting. A remarkable emotional catharsis.”
The film has been the official selections of SXSW, Tribeca and Telluride Film Festivals.
Following the 90-minute documentary, there will be an in person question-and-answer session with its Emmy-winning Director Keith Maitland and Randy Polk, Retired Faculty University of Houston Film School
Tickets are $9 and available by following the ticket link on firsttuesdaysmtx.com. The film begins at 7 p.m. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. and complimentary refreshments from Pie Society and Middleton Brewing begin at 6:30 p.m. The Price Center is located at 222 W. San Antonio in San Marcos.
