Located in eastern Hampshire County, West Virginia, the history of Capon Bridge goes back to the 1700s even though the town we know today was only formally incorporated in 1902. A young George Washington worked as a surveyor’s assistant on some of the town’s fields and pastures still in use today. Stories from Capon Bridge, however, is centered firmly in the year 2025.
That year, independent filmmaker Richard Anderson went around with his cameras, asking longtime residents and new arrivals about the state of the country, their views on democracy, and what they think is needed to end the political polarization driving so many conflicts in the United States. These musings on community and democracy make up the bulk of the documentary, spaced out with discussion of Capon Bridge’s oral history, preserved on film for posterity.
I don’t have many complaints about this film at all. Anderson is a skilled documentarian and has a long relationship with many West Virginia communities, as seen in his other works like Where the Sky Meets Eternity and Mike Morningstar: Here’s to the Working Man. He puts his connection-making skills to good use here, getting personal interviews with even passersby as well as key community members.
This is where the film’s only sore thumb sticks out: some of the people interviewed refuse to give an actual answer to the questions posed. Aside from these dissatisfying moments sounding like an [unscripted] civics essay, they often twist into what I’d like to call “Board of Commerce” speak, blurring the line between documentary and tourism advertisement. And that’s my strongest complaint: It’s not fully Anderson’s fault, and I appreciate him for this historic and cultural preservation, but I had hoped for a slightly tighter and more overall informative documentary experience.
Everything else, however, is as good or even better than I expected. There is some stunning film work for those who love West Virginia’s rolling hills and a lot of valuable cultural and political discussion to be found in Stories from Capon Bridge.
Following in the footsteps of a similar previous documentary, What About Auburn?, Richard Anderson asks questions about the viability of small towns surviving as the suburbs encroach and rich folks buy up land, but he also highlights how small-town culture and attitudes could be the solution to many of our social ills. There’s something infectious about the community’s neighborly attitude, with newer residents still shocked that they lived elsewhere for years or decades and knew fewer people than they’ve met in Capon Bridge.
As America enters its 250th year, there are many questions about our future that can be answered by a return to roots when it comes to community, and towns like Capon Bridge lead the way with their friendly spirit and strong-rooted history.
