The story of "Aunt Diane" is ultimately a story about denial. The family of Diane Schuler, while confronted with overwhelming evidence of her being drunk and high, is stunning. I know they loved her. But PLEASE! Toxicology reports have no reason to lie. This is one of the saddest stories I've ever heard. The fact that they thought she "had a stroke" was amazing. I don't think Diane Schuler was evil, I think she was an addict, who hid it very well from her family and friends. Based on the toxicology reports she was amazingly intoxicated but she maintained well enough to go to McDonald's and a gas station-HELLO! This shows me she had built up a tolerance to alcohol and weed, otherwise she would not be able to walk.

Then it (Vodka and Weed) truly kicked in. That's where it went off the rails. How awful for everyone involved. Those precious children taken, the son surviving but impaired for life. And the innocent men just driving to get a Spaghetti and Meatball dinner... I know the family loved Diane, but PLEASE ACKNOWLEDGE HER CULPABILITY IN THIS....SHE WAS DRUNK AND HIGH. End of story.

I watched this yesterday and thought it was compelling, but the more I have thought about it, the more I am convinced the husband is lying. Had he submitted to a polygraph, he'd have had more credibility. Yes, he could have been unaware of his wife's drinking since they worked different shifts, as an astute reviewer has noted. However, it is completely implausible that he and his wife had a pleasant morning and only consumed coffee before she got behind the wheel with 5 kids under 9 years old. They either smoked weed together, or he saw her do it, or they had a fight, or SOMETHING.

Otherwise what was the point of all the interviews saying how great she was? Something happened to change that on that day. The immature (worthless, actually, once you learn he resents having a child left alive to care for) Daniel knows some things. I truly believe that he is lying about any number of things that would shed considerable light on the events of that terrible day.

For instance, the private investigator they hired -- did Daniel really pay the guy? That would explain the man's reluctance to return his calls. It also explains why Jay, Daniel's sister-in-law, was "told not to answer the phone" when the investigator called her. Daniel didn't want Jay to know he hadn't actually sent all the money to the investigator.

I did some research and learned that Danny later sued his wife's brother, Warren Hance -- the father of Emma, Alyson, and Katie, who all died in the car with Diane at the wheel. The ridiculous reason? Diane was driving their van, which she borrowed to transport all the children and Daniel claimed that Warren was "vicariously liable" as the owner of the minivan.

Conclusion: Daniel Shuler is a piece of crap, his wife was a complete mess, and their dysfunctional life has ruined a lot of other lives.

This documentary is about a tragic accident, and the quest to find a satisfactory explanation for that accident. What it reveals is the remarkable human capacity for self-deception and denial, especially when confronted with a reality that is too painful to accept.

The Aunt Diane of the title, perhaps due to the pain of an abscessed tooth, uncharacteristically consumed a significant amount of alcohol and pot, leading to a horrendous accident that killed eight people, including herself. The documentary is about the difficulty her husband and sister-in-law have in accepting this reality.

An otherwise nice and responsible person, possibly suffering intense pain, impulsively and uncharacteristically made a really stupid decision to self-medicate, and the result was multiple deaths.

It really isn't fair, and I can understand why it is difficult for her family to accept. How can one dumb decision destroy so many lives? It is intensely frustrating and unsatisfying, but sometimes that's reality.

Diane's family reminds me of people who refuse to believe that JFK could be gunned down by one random guy named Oswald, or those who refuse to believe that 19 hijackers could use some box-openers and turn the world upside-down on 9/11. The causation is inadequate to the effect emotionally--it feels lopsided. So people often start to look for conspiracies and 'deeper' explanations, rather than accepting the simple, savage truth: sometimes small decisions can result in wildly disproportionate and tragic consequences.