MOVIE REVIEW: New mockumentary too strange for comfort
Grade: C
Just when you thought the Mormon cinema genre was bizarre enough, leave it to “The Work and the Story” to top them all. But what could you expect with a mockumentary about LDS-themed films?
This documentary-style satire is like a Mormon “Waiting for Guffman” or “Spinal Tap.” However, if you are a fan of those films, don’t expect this to be their Mormon counterpart; it’s a bit strange. The movie begins with a news story about Richard Dutcher, the creator of “God’s Army,” becoming lost when his plane goes down. It is never clear exactly how or why Dutcher disappeared, but the movie isn’t about finding him, it’s about which filmmaker will replace him as the leader in Mormon cinema.
“The Work and the Story” primarily follows filmmaker Peter Beuhmann (Nathan Smith Jones, who also co-wrote and directed the film) as an over-the-top egotistical director who believes himself to be the next “Mormon Spielberg.” He delights in Dutcher’s disappearance and becomes sour when anyone mentions his possible return.
Two other wannabe directors are Judy Schumway (Jen Hoskins), who is making a movie about bad women in the Bible, and Kevin Evans (Eric Artell) who is attempting to make “God’s Army Reserve.” The documentary puts these characters in the back burner and Peter’s story overshadows the humor they bring into the movie. For instance, Kevin, who looks barely 17, can’t get his film off the ground, because his mother strongly disapproves of his owning a camera. He is such a believable character that you can’t help feeling sorry for him.
The mockumentary gets off to a good start mixed with interviews of movie critics and celebrity cameos to give the story an outside perspective, until it becomes difficult to grasp where it’s heading. It turns into a mess that won’t clean itself up. It spends too much time on Peter and his frustrations and you barely get a glimpse of what he’s producing.
The genius of other successful mockumentaries is the dry and subtle humor they possess. On the other hand, “The Work and the Story” is so in-your-face and obnoxious that it is difficult to enjoy the characters. At times, the film was more like a “Saturday Night Live” skit on crazy Mormons that went uncomfortably long.
However, if you can make it through, there are some shining moments, including a short egg animation “Book of Mormon” war scene played with intense music and egg yolk gore and done surprisingly well. The director can really claim “egg-a-mation” as his own. Kirby Heyborne, from “The Singles Ward” and “The RM,” plays a crew member-turned actor for Beuhmann. His best scene is when he tells a story about his demanding dad and shows mixed feelings of respect and fear; he is clearly traumatized by his dad, and sees Peter as a father figure.
Go see this movie if you can take it for what it is; a weird, low-budget Mormon film with a ridiculous plot. This movie is entertaining for how it pokes fun at Mormon peculiarities, not for a quality story and great directing. It has the quirky humor only found in Mormon-targeted movie, such as adding defining subtitles for terms unique to members like “bishopric” and “fireside.” And the title of the movie comes from the popular novel series “The Work and the Glory.”
Amateur filmmakers might appreciate this movie, because essentially this movie is all about amateurs. For instance, each character faces severe budget problems. Kevin can’t get any money (the humor here is found in how the potential investors treat him like a kid; in a rejection letter, one would-be investor tells Kevin to tell his mom hi) and Peter begs his father for $1,000. In one scene, Peter complains about being hundreds of dollars over budget.
Don’t go see this movie if you didn’t care for “The Singles Ward,” “The RM” and other LDS-targeted films, or if you’re expecting filming standards as high as those movies. It is a low-budget film about making low-budget films.
I give this movie a C, because grading it any higher might raise expectations too far. Surprisingly, this 80-minute film, short by Hollywood standards, is too long for its material. It could have been a better film running 30 minutes long. There were parts in the middle of the movie that were downright boring. I also didn’t understand the point of the narrator with the British accent that would come in random and unnecessary places. The truth is this movie is only for a niche audience that can enjoy both LDS-type humor and low-budget filming.
My prediction of its success is: Plan on hearing more about this movie when it comes out on DVD. It might possibly become a Mormon cult favorite for some, and don’t be surprised when you run into this movie at a singles night ward social.
Joel Featherstone is a sophomore majoring in Print Journalism. Comments can be sent to joelfeathers@cc.usu.edu