Everyone's Got One

I saw this film at the Woods Hole Film festival, I have to say it is one of the best movies to come out of the burgeoning Boston film scene.

The film is about a 20 something kid named Garth who lives at home, fights with his kid sister and obsesses over his latest screenplay, that is, when he isn't cleaning clogged toilets at a local movie theater (you have to start at the bottom, kid).

One day a real up and coming director is giving a commentary on his latest film at the very theater Garth works. After his appearance he is mobbed by a crowd of wannabes and is rescued by the mop wielding Garth.

The director played by Mike Judge (not of office Space and Beavis Fame) makes his way to his car with Garth in tow, eschewing the janitor's request to read his screenplay by telling Garth to send it to his secretary. This, we will come to find out is the worst mistake of his life as Garth becomes obsessed with Judge's false promise and spirals into insanity.

If it sounds familiar, it is probably because this film is supposed to be an homage to Scorcese's King of Comedy.

Garth Donovan, director and star of the movie is hilarious in it as he weaves documentary and traditional narrative into a story about obsession. The ultimate Irony of the film is that the juxtaposing styles lead the viewer to believe that the real Garth Donovan is not far from the fictionalized version in the film, an affect that is intended by Donovan who allegedly financed this film from collecting 1000's of cans.

In this day and age, you can essentially make a 90 minute film on your G5 for a few thousand dollars worth of equipment. At any art house cinema in the country there are probably half a dozen kids on the payroll who are writing a screenplay or learning to edit with Final Cut, but alas, there is no way to purchase talent.

One could speculate that the overall point of Everyone's Got One is built around the above facts and that on a cynical level the film ultimately serves the purpose of skewering these wannabes. However, the filmmakers are not without a sense of humor knowing that, at least while they were making this film, they too were part of this herd.

Director Garth Donovan's unabashed approach at breaking into the biz (normally a subject for boredom) is an all balls, no budget approach at verite comedy. EVERYONE'S GOT ONE (get it? E.G.O.)features naturalistic performances, dynamic dialogue and a good show of craft. E.G.O. focuses on a janitor's journey into madness as he uses a meeting with a celebrity to catapult himself out of his banal lifestyle. My favorite scenes involve his interaction with his sister (played by Donovan's real-life sister). It's rare to see this kind of enthusiasm that isn't hampered down with boring rhetoric or endlessly boring monologues. E.G.O. keeps the pace sharp and the humor sly. This guy is only getting better as an actor, writer and director. Beantown's new breakthrough IS Garth Donovan.

i was lucky enough to see E.G.O. a while back because i have a friend in boston who got their hands on a copy. this film really appealed to me as someone who is interested in culturally critical and aware directors and writers. i think garth donovan really fits into that category and i can't wait to see more of his work. while the film is extremely entertaining, it never fails to ask the bigger questions that lurk behind the absurdity of America's obsession with success in some elusive quantifiable measure, i.e., what it means to be "famous" and the fine line between inspired genius and impotent madman. the splicing of the new film with old homemade pieces by the director gives it an unflinching reality, yet it never seems to feel quaint. highly recommended. you can be the guy that tells all his friends "told ya" when this guy makes it big.