The Proper Care & Feeding of an American Messiah

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. :-)

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."

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.

The making of this film was the subject of a class at Baylor University in Waco. This probably would have been a great class to be part of and the film looks very good for a school project. Unfortunately, I don't think there was a great film to be made from this script. There were some very funny bits, but just not enough of them to stretch out for a whole movie. It's a mockumentary about a man who thinks he's a messiah. Not THE Messiah, he thinks he's just here for the residents of his home town.

The art direction added some funny touches. The characters ate from packages labeled Generic Cheese Snacks and Vomit Plopps. I liked the Warhol-styled Jesus poster on the messiah's wall- it was like the four different-colored Marilyns.

The director, a professor at Baylor, was at the screening and mentioned that the relationship between the messiah and his brother is similar to that of the main characters in American Movie, a real documentary and a better film that this one.

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.