The Most Hated Family in America

I accidentally saw this on a plane. I don't usually watch TeeVee shows, what with all the compromises you have to make.

One of those compromises is the subjects that the market demands be chosen. We're trailer park critics. We like to find people with lives so obviously honked around that it makes us feel better about our own only slightly less feeble foundations. Often its a broken celebrity trapped by excess. Just as often it is some group similarly captured. In this case its excess in the opposite direction.

These people are obsessed by sex. They are so obsessed that sex means fornication (the word having power only because it was used in the King James translation) and that means homosexual fornication. This is presumed to be widespread and to consist primarily of babyraping or similar unknown devilish things. Everyone not in the group are coconspirators, so they blame us all, and especially the military.

Its bizarre, and we allow ourselves to smugly follow these nitwits, this cult. Its embarrassing that this is how we choose to entertain ourselves.

Ted's Evaluation -- 1 of 3: You can find something better to do with this part of your life.

This is one of the most amazing documentaries I have ever seen. It is sad, terrifying, and from a foreigner's perspective - one great reason not to live anywhere near Kansas.

No matter what you think of the Phelps' family though, one thing you have to agree: they stand up for what they believe in. What this documentary doesn't address is: why such a group can even exist in modern day society? They accuse all and sundry of being "fag-enablers". Basically any person or group (or country) who even vaguely supports homosexuality is off to hell. And that's what they proselytise. They don't hate those people - they just inform them that god hates them.

People accuse them of "hate crime" but the atheist reporter was given nearly a week's access and they were (nearly) all very pleasant and friendly to him. I found that remarkable.

His interviewing skills were brilliant. Very similar to our own Andrew Denton.

But back to the original question. How can such a group even exist? Well unfortunately the bible says everything the Phelps' preach. You cannot accuse them of hypocrisy on that front. So anyone who believes the bible also must accept the Phelps' position. It must be a terrible conflict for christians out there. Because those very US Christian values have "enabled" the Phelps family to exist. The US is a "Phelps enabler".

Originally, due to a deep and endless hatred of Fred Phelps and his congregation, I didn't think I would be able to watch this film without punching a hole through the TV or tearing my hair from my head. But, I was in a good mood (which I increased more by a few pints of Boddington's), so I figured I should give it a watch and see if I can get through it.

Funnily enough, I don't think I even needed a mood boost. While, yes, the Phelps are a truly despicable and condemnable family and Fred Phelps is one of the few men that I would personally no problem wishing death upon, British journalist Louis Theroux presents these horrible people in such a way that seamlessly blends their disgusting hatred with some smooth and hilarious humour.

Regardless of the humour and comedy that is sewn into the film, it is difficult to watch (especially to those who vary from their opinions. . . which is about 99.8% of people I've met) and takes some self-control to handle the issues. Theroux does a fantastic job of fairly allowing the Phelps family to speak their minds about the issues without seeming smug or mean, and makes it clear that while is obviously against their message, he wants them to have a fair chance to express themselves.

To anyone looking for an interesting documentary, regardless of your views, I highly suggest this one.

Final Verdict: 9/10

-AP3-

The Westborough Baptist Church believe that America is condemned by God because of its acceptance of homosexuality and rejection of His true teaching. The members of the church are overwhelmingly from one family – the Phelps family under the tutelage of Pastor Phelps – father or grandfather to many of the group. In an attempt to understand why they are so hated and try to get a grip on their beliefs, Louis Theroux spends several months with them at their home, talking to them as individuals and joining them on their pickets at the funerals of dead soldiers, whom they believe are dead because God is punishing the US.

Louis Theroux has made a name for himself in seeking out the weird and the wonderful characters and scenes in the world and managing to get close to them, using his affable and harmless manner to often reach the heart of the people and let them show more than they intended. And so it is here with the Phelps family – a group that we start out seeing as a group of religious cracks but gradually become more and more upsetting as the film goes on. The film does a great job of exploring its subjects and Louis effortlessly brings a lot out of some of them.

Of course it is not hard to get them to come over as hatemongers who have fixated on one sin and one teaching from the bible and are seemingly ignoring the rest (regardless of the defence that it is the "elephant in the room") and Louis just lets them preach at him. However he also nudges them to talk with mixed results. Pastor Phelps is a waste of five minute of film but the mother is interesting in her immobility in her position. Where he has much more success is with the children because they are quite normal people despite these views. He gets them talking and his style rewards the viewer by drawing out the slightest touches of doubt and a belief that seems to stem more from repetition and, dare I say, brainwashing than it does from a considered thought process and understanding. It disturbing to see because it is hard to escape the belief that the children genuinely have no chance. I suppose it is no different from those born into violent families, abusive families, overly protective families and so on – but it still doesn't make it easy viewing.

Fans of Theroux will love it and the casual viewer will find that the subjects are difficult to fail to be engaged by. Enjoyable in the way Theroux's films usually are, but also upsetting and a touch disturbing too.

The Phelps family protested across the street from my daughter's high school and the students responded with hundreds of kids on the other side of the street. The Phelps family was restricted by police, the students were respectful and didn't engage in name calling or violence and it all dissipated in the news. This was three years before I saw this documentary. I had been aware of the Phelps family for 15 years before that but this documentary really brought their lunacy front and center. "What's Wrong With Kansas" -- Indeed. These people, and many more like them in the Midwest (my roots) are what is wrong with America. I don't doubt for an instant that they believe in the purity of their cause. But they are dead wrong. From a religious standpoint, an ethical position, a moral position, and a political position. These people and their supporters are what is making America a laughingstock to the rest of the world. I pity them.