“Join or Die” Makes the Case, If Not for Itself

Join or Die (Pete Davis/Rebecca Davis, 2024) 3 out of 5 stars

Could the key to America’s most unsolvable problems be as straightforward as joining a club? A quarter of a century ago, Robert Putnam’s 2000 book Bowling Alone argued just that. Examining the decline of community connection since the 1960s, Putnam urged Americans to see the correlation between the increasing lack of civic organizations and the unraveling of civic life. Now, sibling duo Rebecca and Pete Davis, the latter of whom was a student of Putnam’s, reflect on his work in their documentary Join or Die. And while at times it may feel like a college essay, it is certainly a well-written one, even if it may have been copied a little too closely.

If you’re expecting a neutral study of the rise and fall of American civic life or present-day club life, don’t. Every facet of these subjects is covered with Robert Putnam at the center. It is understandable considering his trailblazing work on the subject, but it occasionally sacrifices the overarching argument because of its emphasis on him. Any criticism of Putnam feels rushed, and the use of Hillary Clinton and Pete Buttigieg, whose roles in this documentary are solely to emphasize the influence of Putnam, feels counterintuitive to the goal of having this message reach the largest audience possible.

Underscoring this is the question of whether it would be more impactful if the Davises had more original substance to contribute to the matter, instead of merely summarizing another’s work. The heavy emphasis on Putnam detracts from highlighting the diverse community groups active today. Some of the selected clubs are far more compelling and relatable than others, but the limited amount of them in general feels like the real missed opportunity. At several points, the everyday folk who make up these organizations were the ones who had the most moving and insightful things to say, and I wish we could see their interpersonal relationships in greater depth.

The style is fully engaging though. It’s reminiscent of the well-polished Vox Explained series, which makes sense given that Rebecca Davis was involved with that (as supervising producer). The archival footage is emotional and perfectly chosen and the animation is charming and engaging. However, the claim that Putnam’s motive is not to romanticize the past is somewhat undone by the extensive use of the archival footage. But while both might be over-relied upon, they make the documentary feel more expensive and cohesive. 

While many elements of Join or Die didn’t work, its flaws nevertheless captured my imagination because its ideas were so thought-provoking and convincing. Each new moment anticipated all of my questions and attempted to answer them in the most digestible way possible. So whether I’m fully convinced about the documentary itself, I’m ready to sign up!

Hannah Tran

Hannah Tran is a film critic and filmmaker from Las Vegas, Nevada. Hannah works as a film screener for the Las Vegas Film Festival and publishes an independent zine focused on highlighing Asian American filmmaking.