A comedy about vinyl? Vinyl isn't exactly funny, or too engrossing, for that matter. It's a synthetic material used in piping, siding for buildings, toys, medical equipment and more. Sterile. Clean. Boring. Where's the drama there? But "Blue Vinyl," directed by Judith Helfand and Daniel B. Gold, had won the Documentary Excellence in Cinematography Award at the 2002 Sundance Film Festival. So I gave it a try. As it turns out, vinyl, or polyvinyl chloride (PVC), oozes with drama, and even with scandal. For years, the vinyl industry hid the fact that fumes from vinyl are harmful, even deadly, and that exposure to them can cause cancer. That's no small exclusion.

Helfand herself introduced the film and spoke to a packed auditorium of Brandeis students and professors on Monday evening, March 24. She explained that the film is a "toxic comedy" - it is humorous, but deals with a thoroughly serious issue. She assured us that we were supposed to find certain elements funny, because "when you laugh in the face of this," she said, "it makes you think."

True to its promise, the film begins on a light note, showing Helfand and her parents as they strip the rotting wood siding of their home in Merrick, N.Y. The wood is replaced by the highly versatile - but as the film reveals, incredibly unsafe - vinyl.

The film follows Helfand, toting a strip of this blue vinyl with her at all times, as she embarks on a journey to discover the process behind creating this plastic. She stops in Lake Charles, La., at a vinyl plant. Helfand's quest also brings her to Venice, Italy, another large producer of vinyl, and to California, where she discovers avant-garde alternatives to vinyl.

By far, the strongest parts of the film were the interviews with cancer patients and their families. These interviews spoke for themselves and spelled out the pain that befell those who were kept in the dark about the effects of working in vinyl factories or living too close to vinyl plants. Helfand had a straightforward but laid-back manner that seemed to allow honest, comfortable responses. She did not intrude too much into the personal lives of the subjects, but still showed their suffering.

I found it most difficult - but most powerful - to watch the interview of a man who had completely lost the ability to speak due to lung cancer, and instead spoke through a mechanical device lodged in his throat. His words sounded robotic. They were slow, and grating, but firm in their meaning. "It was a murderous, choking job," he said.

These emotional aspects were the meat of the film. They compensated for other parts that were less interesting, such as the spouting of statistics and footage of discussions with scientists, lawyers and environmental activists. These segments were repetitive, and it could be hard to differentiate fact from opinion. The hardships of cancer victims are much harder to deny than any other type of statement.

Certain themes tied the film together. First, there was the recurring story of Helfand's parents' home. In the end, Helfand convinced them to re-side their home with reclaimed wood from Maine that was over 100 years old. "Blue Vinyl" also contained intermittent animations that explained certain processes crucial to understanding the infiltration of vinyl into our lives. The cartoons, drawn with simple yet vibrant lines, were a refreshing break from the shocking information we were fed in the rest of the film.

Music also helped lessen the somber mood, as each time Helfand and her crew were on the road, the audience was greeted with upbeat tunes. During heavier, more shocking moments, music was usually absent.

My only issue was that the documentary did not leave any room for independent thought. We had to view the issue exactly as its creators did. Interviews with executives in the vinyl industry were shown in a way that almost mocked these officials. I would have preferred a less biased presentation of fact that allowed viewers to shape their own views.

I found "Blue Vinyl" to be effective over all. Each detail of the camera angles and sound was clever and added to the viewing pleasure. The film was funny, but did not overstep the boundaries of humor appropriate for a grave topic. It was informative, but in way that was generally easy to understand. And maybe now I'll think about re-siding my house, after all.