In the 1930s, a visionary Iowa farmer had a heretical idea: interbreeding different species of corn into a robust, high-yielding variety never before seen—a hybrid. McCollum extends this notion to his portrait of a farmer Milford Beeghly, interweaving different filmmaking techniques to delve into the life and consciousness of a man who eventually became a highly successful seed entrepreneur. What could be so fascinating about corn that it would lead Beeghly to spend more time in the fields than with his children? McCollum’s lyrical and sensuous animation of ears “disrobing” might just give an idea. Expressive black and white cinematography and a real sense for the rhythm of farm life inform this funny and mournful look at a man more in tune with his crop than his kin.