Herman U.S.A.

This is a nice little film which treats life in rural America without the usual stereotypes. The cast is talented, and they look like real people, not the typical Hollywood treatment where everyone looks perfect. The cinematography is excellent, with a few of the scenes absolutely stunning.

While a notch above the movies that Don Knotts used to do, back in the 1960's, this fictionalized account of a true incident has the same sort of "small town" appeal which once filled drive-in movies with rows of pick-up trucks. As a whole, the movie isn't notable, but it has a number of good parts, both in terms of dialog and acting, and it leaves you with the kind of warm-and-fuzzy feeling you don't often find in movies these days.

The story of the bride fair is an amusing and engaging one, and it is to the filmmaker's credit that he sets out to portray rural Minnesotans with the same respect ordinarily reserved for Coast-dwellers. It is weird, though, to find an independent movie, the brainchild of a single person, that is as unambitious and cliché-ridden as a committee-brewed Hollywood potboiler.

The portrait of rural people is intended to be affectionate, I think, but these characters don't ring true to me--I have had quite a few meals in small-town diners, but never overheard a debate on the merits of different nineteenth-century English novelists. One might suggest that writer/director Semans has no more experience with rural culture than the Coen brothers, and considerably less satiric verve.

The movie was based on a true story about Herman, MN that happened in 1994 when the town got that "15 minutes of fame".

The city leaders were looking to attract businesses to Herman. A survey showed young people, especially women, were moving out of the area for jobs. A Fargo TV station and a Mpls. newspaper article mentioned the fact about the lopsided ratio of men to women.

This is the spark that got fueled. Other media took the ball and ran with the headlines that Herman was advertising for women to come visit.

The movie has great countryside scenery (filmed around New Germany, MN. although, the real Herman is very similar).

The movie makers went a little too cliché depicting 'the farmer'--- bib overalls, slopping the hogs. A little too hillbilly. Today's farmers are better than that. The most accurate scene was when they were cutting hay.

Overall, the movie is interesting and fun.

One unfortunate fact for the movie's opening weekend is that it was right after the 9/11 attack. Not a lot of enthusiasm for Americans to go out those early days after. Attendance in theaters across the country was down.

I really enjoyed this movie. While I do enjoy action and science fiction films, it's great to not see anything blown up for a change. I'm from a nearby state and the characters felt real to me. I remember the newspaper stories about the Herman bachelor festival and it was fun seeing a movie about it. In the fictionalized version several romances develop after the bifg weekend and most end happily. I enjoyed seeing small town people treated as intelligent and the mostly gentle humor. It's a good feel good movie; I'd like to get it on tape or DVD some time.