Jack Of All Trades ReVisited

Ever since my original write up of the documentary, Jack of All Trades, the "film" has stayed on my mind quite a bit. Not because it was so enthralling that I couldn't stop thinking about it, but rather, because I kept my original write up so neutral to avoid spoilers that I don't feel I truly got to say what I wanted.

As such, I thought I would take some time to re-visit my thoughts on this glimpse into the life of Stuart Stone. Be warned, this write up is somewhat filled with spoilers.

While Jack of All Trades was an okay documentary, it wasn't necessarily a good one. It also wasn't very informative. For me, the latter was the most disappointing aspect. When I sit down to watch a documentary my first and foremost goal is to learn something. Specifically about the source material it's based on. This didn't happen.

Instead, it was Stuart himself who learned what the rest of us have known for a few decades now pertaining to the over saturation of the sports card market. Truthfully, I didn't know this type of naivety existed anymore. I thought it was pretty much common knowledge at this point. It was kind of one of those, "Where have you been," moments as I watched him drop his jaw at the low offers he was receiving for his cards.

It was at this point that the worst thing happened in the documentary. Stuart showed who he truly was as a person, and quite frankly, he wasn't likable. This was a terrible thought because people typically don't want to think poorly about others. At least I don't. However, this is exactly where I found myself. I didn't want anything good for Stuart.

Stuart oozes the aura of millennial entitlement, to the point of almost throwing temper tantrums because things weren't working out the way he wanted them to. He was arrogant, ignorant and immature. I guess Stuart never got the memo that life wasn't fair. The end result is a human being who was unable to make the transition from child to adult, a common problem with many coddled children groomed to receive awards just for participating.

As the documentary continues to unfold, we learn that the root of Stuart's problems are his daddy abandonment issues. While it may not have intended to be, this quickly turns out to be the main focal point of the "film". Yet another issue I had with it all. I turned Jack of All Trades on to enjoy a documentary focused around sports cards, not to watch a reality show.

The end result was that this was not the documentary I signed on to see. Instead, it was a reflective look at an unlikable person. Stuart did nothing short of drill home what so many of us already dread. This is the future of our world. Whining. Ignorance. Entitlement.

God help us.

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Jack Of All Trades On Netflix

A note before starting. Be mindful of the comments. The conversation contains spoilers of the film.

Fan of baseball cards? Trading cards in general? Nostalgia? Collectibles? Documentaries? If you answered yes to some or all of those, check out the "film", Jack Of All Trades on Netflix. It's a documentary of Stuart Stone, child baseball card collector turned adult trying to sell his massive collection.

Throughout his story, Stuart quickly finds out the golden rule of collecting. Collect for the fun, not the value. Despite his massive collection of cards, Stuart finds that the excess of the 80's and over saturation of the 90's has left him with a collection worth nothing.

It's an interesting, if not somewhat sad tale. Especially as you watch the group of documentary makers start to fight and argue with each other.

At first, Stuart comes across as selfish, whiny and entitled. However, as you learn more about him, you start to see that there's actually a deep rooted pain in his life, which perhaps, is the reason he acts the way he does. One which he needs to, and does, face as the documentary continues on. As this is where the true heart of the "story" lies, I won't ruin it for any of you planning to see it.

Overall, it may not offer any insight into the card industry which seasoned collector's don't already know. Instead, it provides something much larger. A glimmer of hope for Stuart himself.

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