84. ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL
 
United States
dir. Sacha Gervasi
world premiere 2008
U.S. release 2009
 

 
Because in this case the broad, committed, sympathetic vantage of the fan-filmmaker beats the odds of cliché as fully as Anvil themselves do. Gervasi captures the hurting hearts of the band as well as the absurdity of both their struggles and their joys, and nothing outranks anything else. It's a whole portrait. Plus "Thumb Hang."