Thank You and Good Night

Thank You and Good Night

Directed by Jan Oxenberg • 1991 • United States

A lost-and-found revelation from indie film and TV maverick Jan Oxenberg is a docu-fantasy narrative focused on the filmmaker’s hilarious, messy, Jewish family as they prepare to say goodbye to someone they love. Narrated by a cardboard cutout of Oxenberg’s scowling child self, THANK YOU AND GOOD NIGHT takes us on a journey through the proceedings, attempting to defeat death and never say goodbye. An early Sundance hit but virtually unseen for decades, the film reemerges as a singular, uncategorizable exploration of the meaning of life, death, and the tangled stuff that is a family. In this poignant, hilarious, and complex reflection on letting go, Oxenberg innovatively transforms personal tragedy into universally resonant art that is now claiming its rightful place as a classic of independent cinema.

Subscribe Share
Thank You and Good Night
  • Thank You and Good Night

    Directed by Jan Oxenberg • 1991 • United States

    A lost-and-found revelation from indie film and TV maverick Jan Oxenberg is a docu-fantasy narrative focused on the filmmaker’s hilarious, messy, Jewish family as they prepare to say goodbye to someone they love. Narrated by a cardboard cutout of O...

Extras

  • Jan Oxenberg Interview

    This interview with filmmaker Jan Oxenberg was recorded in 2020.

  • Home Movie

    Directed by Jan Oxenberg • 1973 • United States

    Using her family’s home movies and her talent for parody, Jan Oxenberg gives herself a cheerful lesbian childhood. “The thing I liked best about being a cheerleader was being with the other cheerleaders . . . the football match was just an excuse.”

  • A Comedy in Six Unnatural Acts

    Directed by Jan Oxenberg • 1975 • United States

    In this witty Hollywood send-up, Jan Oxenberg satirizes a variety of film genres and the ways in which they perpetuate lesbian stereotypes.