Austin Film Festival Documentary Review: ‘The Last Book Buy’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Still from THE LAST BOOK BUY Courtesy of the Austin Film Festival.

It is definitely safe to say, that we are living in supremely unique times when it comes to the retail and shopping environment. For over the past few decades, we’ve seen businesses that have been around for ages, disappear from the landscape. Some of it has been related to economic woes, since Circuit City and Borders were casualties of the Great Recession, while so many others have faltered of their own accord. Unable to adjust to the changing landscape of retail, much of which has related to the surge of online buying that now takes place in the world, and of course, it would be foolish to not point out that big retailers coming into smaller communities and squeezing out the little guy has led to a huge impact upon local shops, and this of course, has brought forth great worries from so many analysts.
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After all, those stores are sitting vacant and empty, and while some communities have re-purposed them and re-developed them into so much more, many have not. Giving rise to fear of a real estate crisis for retail, and of course, worries about the economy, and well… for lack of a better phrase… who cares? Because what we often forget about, is that store closures and the end of businesses both big and small, have a far greater impact on the community they serve. For people lose their jobs, and often times, a valuable service to a particular area is gone forever, and that has a huge impact on people, and that is what we should be concerned about when it comes to the changing face of retail. Thankfully though, there are creatives that recognize this and are making a point to showcase the human impact of store closures.

In fact, a documentary entitled, The Last Book Sale, explores such matters, and it recently screened at the Austin Film Festival and what it had to showcase, was quite powerful. For this particular film takes us to San Antonio, wherein we step inside Half Price Books on Broadway, as they prepare to close down for good. Which gives us an up-close look at the final days of a closing store, complete with reaction from the employees and the loyal customers that helped to support this place. Which reveals that so many customers in this story have used this location for ages on end and have made it part of their routine, and now their habits will be interrupted by the closing, and their lives, will be changed. Since they relied on this place for product and sometimes a quick bit of cash from the buybacks performed here. Not to mention, you see the wear and tear on the employees, and the emotion that comes forth when a place they’ve worked to maintain begins to fade into memory.

All of which informs us that there is so much more to a store closing, courtesy of a story that paints a complete picture about what this location means to the local community, and that the closing of Half Price Books will harm everyone, really. Plus, this documentary deserves a round of applause for going even deeper on such matters by also showcasing how this is more than a job for these employees. It is their livelihood, and they care about it. And how a casual purchase or drop off/buyback at a place like Half Price Books means the world to people. Since there are patrons who found joy in sharing stories they had finished with others and used their original purchase to find joy by escaping into a story. Which adds incredible depth and meaning to this story and leaves the audience wondering… how then do we prevent this?

Well, there’s a complex answer to that question. But what it boils down to, is that we have as a culture, bought into the narrative that only the price matters, and that if we aren’t getting the best deal, then that business is failing us. But what we have forgotten in a narrative driven by profit and greedy shareholders, is that businesses DO provide more than hot deals and killer steals. They give people jobs that can become careers and can ignite a passion, and they do contribute to the community with the sales taxes they collect, and when it comes to small businesses, they are a huge part of the community and part of a way of life. So, the time has come to reset the narrative a demand the shopping experience and environment that benefits all, instead of just CEOs and money-grubby shareholders. But while we wait for that shift, we can celebrate this amazing tale, one that at least starts the conversation, courtesy of a powerful story that finally showcases the real impact upon a community when a valued business is gone forever.

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