Parents' Guide to General Magic

This documentary explores one of Silicon Valley's most essential stories; it's told in a pretty ordinary way, and it's stretched too thin, but it's ultimately still enlightening and inspiring. Co-directors Sarah Kerruish and Matt Maude start General Magic with a little hyperbole -- like a trailer for their own movie -- as well as several high-flying drone shots of the Bay Area, before getting going. Talking heads and some archival footage set the time and place, illustrating General Magic as an early startup at which staffers didn't have to wear suits and ties. Porat, speaking in a smooth, assured voice, begins to make things sound important.

Happily, the documentary features Tony Fadell, who went on to do great things later on, remembering his early days at General Magic. He was a kid, eager to jump in, and his excitement during his interview helps underline the excitement that might have been felt at the time. Extensive archival footage by filmmaker David Hoffman also helps fill in the picture. While most of the interviewees frequently use phrases like "changing the world" or "looking into the future" (accompanied by more drone footage), one, journalist/Recode founder Kara Swisher, lays things out clearly: Inventing a smartphone in the 1990s was like inventing a television in the 1880s; there was nothing to show on it. They were too early. General Magic could have told its story much more cleanly in a short documentary, dispensing with formula, but it's still worth seeing.