Crawford, the story of President Bush’s adopted hometown near Waco, was one of the best documentaries I saw last year (it screened at both South by Southwest and AFI Dallas). If you didn’t catch it at either of those festivals, the Video Association of Dallas is holding a free screening Monday night at 7:30 at the Studio Movie Grill on Central Expressway at Royal Lane.

The documentary inspects the daily lives of Crawford’s residents during the Bush presidency as it is transformed from sleepy Central Texas town into protest central, particularly for the war in Iraq. You might remember Cindy Sheehan hunkering down there seeking an audience with the president.

Crawford captures much of that drama, but it spends most of its time asking the folks who have lived there for decades about what it’s like having the nation’s politics come to your door step. As you might imagine, the jury is split, and not always along party lines.

Why should you be interested? Well, if you live in Dallas, you’re about to be the soon-to-be-former president’s neighbor. Of course, he won’t be quite the lightening rod that the Crawford folks experienced once he’s out of office. But Crawford serves as good preparation for what it might be like to live with the president.

Can’t make it to the screening? KERA has you covered with a broadcast of the film on Tuesday night at 10 p.m.