Watch Sprawling from Grace

Sprawling from Grace is a socio-political documentary film released in 2008. The film takes a closer look at the rapid growth of suburbanization in the United States and its impact on the nation's land usage practices. Directed by David M. Edwards and produced by the Sprawl Productions, the film features various interviews with renowned urban planners, government officials, and other experts to explore various issues surrounding the massive migration of people from cities to suburbs.

The film begins by highlighting the stark contrast between rural and urban landscapes and showing how suburbanization has dramatically altered the American landscape over the decades. Sprawling from Grace takes a critical look at the unchecked growth of urban areas and the inappropriate use of natural resources. The film discusses how this rapid urbanization has led to the destruction of green spaces, which has resulted in a range of environmental problems such as air pollution, water quality issues, and other environmental health hazards.

Through its commentary, the documentary presents an argument that suburbanization has resulted in a series of ecological and environmental problems for the United States. The film suggests that the primary cause of this issue is the failure of policymakers and urban planners to incorporate ecological and environmental issues into their land-use proposals. As a result, suburbanization, which at one point was touted as the key to the American Dream, has now become a nightmare for many citizens.

Sprawling from Grace explores the history of this substantial shift in the American lifestyle, tracing the origins of suburbanization and how it started with the country's first suburbs in the early 20th century. The film explains how these suburban developments were initially intended for the wealthy upper-middle class, but eventually became accessible to more ordinary people through the introduction of government subsidies that facilitated suburban development.

The documentary points out the driving forces behind suburbanization, including low housing costs, increased access to cheap credit, car culture, and the desire for privacy and a sense of community. Through interviews with experts and academics, the film shows how the demands of suburban living and the environmental destruction that comes with it are unsustainable, with the human costs yet to be fully quantified.

Sprawling from Grace is not just a film questioning the sustainability of the American Dream; it also provides potential solutions to the issue. For example, the documentary discusses the concept of new urbanism, which emphasizes the need for denser and more sustainable development patterns in urban and suburban areas. The film also highlights certain cities that have made progress in creating sustainable urban and suburban areas, such as Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington.

In conclusion, Sprawling from Grace presents a riveting and sobering look at the impact of suburbanization and American land-use patterns. The documentary is an informative and educational film that is incredibly relevant today. It is a call to action for policymakers and urban planners to rethink their approach to land-use policies, to prioritize the adoption of sustainable practices that can help to mitigate the damaging consequences of unchecked suburbanization. The film implores citizens to think critically about the effects of their lifestyle choices and the broader implications of their actions on the world around them. Overall, Sprawling from Grace is a valuable addition to public discourse on environmentalism and land-use planning.

Sprawling from Grace is a 2008 documentary with a runtime of 1 hour and 22 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 7.3.