The Proper Care & Feeding of an American Messiah

When this film ended, I felt as if I'd spent an hour and a half in an asylum. Keeping up with Brian's belief system is exhausting. Brian is like the ultimate believer, he believes so hard that he is blind to everything else around him. To those of us outside his delusion, it's hard not to laugh, especially at his contradictions and lack of knowledge about the bible. I suppose all messiahs must come across as delusional, but this one has no special purpose from god, and god's not talking to him, and you have to admire his willingness to ignore or misinterpret what's happening around him. The "gliding Jesus" car chase was hilarious, but served to illustrate Aaron's limited functioning. I must say that I particularly enjoyed Miriam's various "takes", small changes in her face and posture in reaction to Brian's various lunacies. This was a subtle and nuanced job of acting. Also, keep an eye on her costume changes through the story. You'd like to think that she's more "normal" than all the rest of them; but really, she's just as cracked the others.

Most of these characters should be in an institution somewhere, not out running around loose. It's a very funny movie, but I'm glad I'm on the outside looking in.

Greetings again from the darkness. Mockumentary that combines elements of Christopher Guest film-making with "The Office", "My Name is Earl" and "Napoleon Dynamite". The blending of these elements, disappointingly, forms something with very little entertainment value. It was very uncomfortable watching the screening of this with the director and much of the cast and crew. They laughed and guffawed at moments that just made me cringe.

A tip of the cap goes to Tony Hale for making an appearance ... I suppose in an attempt to give back to the art. More successful actors should do this. Other than that it is a too long, one-joke, unfunny mess that is little more than a mediocre student film. I will say the idea of a guy who claims to be "a" (not THE) Messiah is a pretty funny place to start. Too bad the "interviews" were weak, the site gags cheap, and the punchlines lacked punch.

This is a really funny, smart comedy by indie filmmaker Christopher Hansen featuring a brilliant performance by Dustin Olson in the lead role. In a lot of comedies like this where the lead character is supposed to be unappealing, actors still tend to play them as if, no, they're really nice guys underneath it all and really deserve the audience's sympathies.

Not so here. Not only is the "Messiah" kind of disturbing to look at, he's just a thoroughly unpleasant person. Yet, this doesn't make the film a turn-off. Olson is riveting to watch on-screen. On the one hand, you want him to finally "get it" and figure out that he's a doofus and on the other you really, really hope he gets his butt handed to him as a consequence of his behavior.

This is a very funny comedy, too, with some great set-pieces, e.g. the t-shirt debacle, the miracle of the fruit, the baptisms scheme, the guy with invisible "friends" and many others. And behind the laughs, there's a real message behind it all, which Hansen smartly doesn't bash the audience over the head with. If you want to watch it just for the jokes, there's plenty of those, but the film also raises some interesting points about the nature of faith and following false "prophets."

The Proper Care and Feeding of an American Messiah reaches viewers on a variety of levels, namely in the funny bone and in the introspective conscience. While we laugh, we ask ourselves the reasons for our laughter, and this innovative film--at times alternately poignant, absurd, and provocative--leaves us pondering its implications long after the laughter has stopped. But first and foremost, this film is hilarious! Filmmaker Chris Hansen rarely relies on slapstick, choosing instead more subtle and effective comic touches, especially when the self-declared Messiah "Brian" (brilliantly played by Dustin Olson) convinces us that he takes himself so seriously. My favorite scene is the baptismal spectacle with "No Wading." During similar scenes like the catalog of various Jesus action-figures, Brian's quirky charisma assures us that he believes in himself (however misguided this belief may be), and that if we'll come along for the ride, we'll learn a bit ourselves, too. I recommend this film highly, both for the laughs and the life lessons. Hansen seems to be saying, "Be careful whom you follow, and don't be afraid to laugh at yourself along the way."

There are so many different types of comedy that no type will amuse everybody. In a world where "fart jokes" are considered hilarious by the illiterates who make up much of the movie audience, this movie is one for people who like comedy that engages their brains instead of just their gag reflexes.

Although the acting in, "the Proper Care and Feeding of an American Messiah," is good, this is a movie that's really driven by the script and the implications of the words coming from the characters. If you have the attention span of a 14-year-old, you won't find this funny. But if you're amused by dialogue that is dry and intelligent and ironic, you're going to laugh out loud at quite a bit of this movie.

I saw this film at a festival last year, and the audience was very receptive to it. In general, it was the writing that I found funny. The production values were obviously designed to mimic a documentary, and they did a good job of making us think that's what we were watching. The core of the humor, though, is in the words coming from the mouth of Brian, the "local Messiah." It can be enjoyed on a number of levels, but it will be especially funny if you have a background in modern evangelical church culture. The humor is gently mocking of some things, but it's clear that the director has respect for the real meaning of Christianity. Mainly, the humor is funny because it's set against the backdrop of things that will be familiar to those of us who have been a part of churches.

If you get a chance to see this film, I highly recommend it. Of course, if you don't enjoy smart humor, go find an Adam Sandler flick instead. For those who are looking for a bit more, this fits the bill. See it. You'll laugh a lot. :-)