ongoing 

We were at the Coolidge Corner Theatre recently and saw a trailer that had us baffled: "Dr. Bronner's Magic Soapbox."  We vaguely knew Bronner's name, but that's about it. We were struck very much by the (apparent) fact that Dr. Bronner was a fervent advocate for humanity, but was much less involved in his own family. Seemed, frankly, to be a bit of a nutter, if a benign one. Dr. Emmanuel Bronner was a soap-maker and self-proclaimed rabbi. In 1947, after escaping from a mental institution he invented the formula for "Dr. Bronner's Magic Saop," a peppermint-tinged product that became the rage of the hippie generation and a staple of the health food store. On the back of each bottle, he set out "The Moral ABC," the goal of which was "TO UNITE ALL MANKIND FREE." We've used that shampoo and enjoyed that tingle! The company was, truly, socially responsible, but Bronner's son Ralph endured over 15 orphanages. Yet, that son, now 70, says he adored his father and has kept the company up and running. (Could be a financial interest there.)  The movie, made by Sara Lamm (and including family  footage shot decades ago), was praised by Time Out New York as being a "modest yet moving doc" and that it "outweirds fiction." And it raises, perhaps, that question about our responsibility to our own little clan vs. our responsibility toward humankind. Most all of us choose the former; Dr. Bronner believed in choosing the latter. Discuss among yourselves. Showtimes: 1:30, 3:30, 5:30. 7:30 and 9:30 p.m. Tickets: $9.

290 Harvard St., Brookline, 617-734-2500 www.coolidge.org