Rebel with a Clause

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Robin C @Robin_Clifford_critic Aug 13 “Rebel with a Clause” Ellen Jovin is an expert grammarian. She, and her husband, Brandt Johnson, grab a folding table, a dictionary and English-language reference books and set out to visit all 50 states with their “Grammar Table.” Ellen takes on any and all questions about the written word and gives answers in “Rebel with a Clause.” I have five words to say: Struck & White: Elements of Style. That book, less than 100 pages long, changed my life in understanding English grammar and writing and has stuck with me to this day. Now, take that understanding, multiply it by about 1000, and inject a boat-load of passion for our language and that describes Ellen Jovin. Ellen and Brandt began the project in 2018 when they set up the Grammar Table outside a NY subway station. She offered anyone who asks answers to their questions about grammar, punctuation and sentence structure. On the surface, this seems boring, but when you take it across the country to, literally, all 50 states and add a diverse clientele, then …. At a scant 86 minute runtime Jovin and Johnson (besides directing, he is also cameraman and, often, participant) pack a lot of information about our language and written word. But, there is a great deal of good-natured humor as she and they discuss such earth shaking revelation that, yes, there is, indeed, a single quote mark in the word “y’all.” This and other descriptions – the Oxford comma drew a great deal of discussion – make “Rebel with a Clause” an excellent education for anyone. A good documentary should educate, enlighten and entertain. “Rebel with a Clause” gives us that in spades AND kept a smile on my face for the entire time, with a few good laughs thrown in, too. B+ See more Read all reviews

Rebel with a Clause

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