$2 bills courtesy of John Shrader
Think about the last time you crossed paths with a $2 bill. Perhaps some random clerk pawned one off on you as change, or maybe grandpa slipped you one as a gift. Whatever the case, the reaction is fairly universal, “Wow, look at this!”
It is this visceral reaction that is at the heart of John Bennardo’s film, The Two Dollar Bill Documentary. John’s curiosity about a small stack of $2 bills he had stashed in a desk drawer led him straight down a rabbit hole he probably didn’t even know existed. Coming in at a 103 minutes in length, the film is packed with content.
Whether Bennardo is schooling us on our country’s history of paper currency, the $2 bill in particular, or giving us a sneak peak inside Ft. Worth’s branch of the Bureau of Engraving and Printing, the film provides a treasure trove of interesting information. And that’s great; that’s what documentaries are supposed to do. But great documentaries are not so much about the information they give the audience, but rather the people woven into the story. If a documentary is able to weave the people part of the story with the information side of things, then a filmmaker may have something. The Two Dollar Bill Documentary has something.
In a day where debit and credit cards have reduced our need to actually have cash in our wallets, how can a piece of currency do anything other than pay for something? That’s where the $2 dollar bill stands apart from other denominations. Basically, when a person receives a $2 dollar bill, it gets noticed. And for a moment, a wave of happiness washes over the people involved in the transaction. It’s short and sweet, but it’s there. Sometimes, that moment later becomes nostalgic.
This is where Bennardo’s documentary gets its legs. His storytelling incorporates the interaction and connection between the giver and the receiver of the bill. His examples are varied.
There is Heather McCabe, who pays her tabs with $2 dollar bills. Then she’ll feature a picture of the smiling clerk holding the money while she chronicles their enthusiasm on her blog, twobuckaroo.com.
There is Steven Reisman, a New York lawyer, who has befriended hip-hop artists like Drake and Big Sean by handing them $2 bills at their concerts.
There are the grandmas and grandpas, and moms and dads, who give $2 bills to family members only to have them get tucked away in wallets and billfolds for decades to come. On occasion, when they peek out from the folds, a wave of nostalgia and love hits the bill’s owners.
And there are lovers, separated by the horrors of 9/11, whose $2 bills signify never ending love and devotion, and later, give a widow closure and peace.
Bennardo’s film weaves the personal stories involving this oddball currency, and there are many, to show that it’s not about the money, it’s about the people. And it’s the people that make The Two Dollar Bill Documentary a success.
Along the way, we learn a little. Which, for the most part, is the point of a documentary. The modern $2 bill is not rare, and, with a few exceptions, is worth $2. The government still prints them and the banks have them. And, in spite of what you may think, the back of the $2 bill does not show the signing of The Declaration of Independence. In fact, the story behind the $2 bill’s backside is a movie highlight.
Oh, and when you leave the theater, you just might look in your wallet and sort through your bills looking for a low, serial numbered star note. Do you know what a star note is? Well, then that’s just one more reason why The Two Dollar Bill Documentary should be added to your watch list.
In the end, it’s the fact that many of us have our own $2 bill story, our own little segment, that we could add to John Bennardo’s documentary. That may be the coolest part of the movie’s appeal. How often does that happen? How often can we connect to a feature documentary, or any movie really, in such a way? Not very. Perhaps that’s what makes the film so much fun.
Special thanks to the Thin Line Festival (Denton, TX) for screening The Two Dollar Bill Documentary.
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