Summaries

A documentary about a pet cemetery in California, and the people who have pets buried there.

The men who run a pet cemetery, and the men and women who bury their pets, become the subject of this documentary. We first meet Floyd McClure, a paraplegic with a dream to create a pet cemetery. One inspiration is the death of his collie years before; and the other is the local rendering plant, which turns animals into glue. He realizes his dream, only to see it fail. Then we visit a successful pet cemetery, run by a father and his two sons. One is a frustrated musician, nursing a broken heart. The other is joining the family business after selling insurance in Salt Lake City. Throughout, we also meet the people who have buried their pets.—J. Spurlin

Funny, inspiring, and bizarre, "Gates of Heaven" is the celebrated pet cemeteries documentary that is in reality an unorthodox look at life. Inspired by an article entitled "450 Dead Pets Going to Napa Valley," Errol Morris set out to capture the event which centered around the transport of hundreds of animal remains from one pet cemetery to another. Pet cemetery proprietors, embalmers, pet owners and others speak about life, work, and feelings.—Fiona Kelleghan <[email protected]>

Details

Keywords
  • love
  • eccentricity
  • napa valley
  • pet cemetery
  • los altos california
Genres
  • Documentary
Release date Sep 30, 1978
Motion Picture Rating (MPA) Not Rated
Countries of origin United States
Language English
Filming locations Bubbling Well Pet Memorial Park, Petaluma, California, USA
Production companies Gates of Heaven

Box office

Tech specs

Runtime 1h 25m
Color Color
Sound mix Mono
Aspect ratio 1.33 : 1

Synopsis

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