The Proper Care & Feeding of an American Messiah (2006)

Director:

Christopher J. Hansen

Writers:

Christopher J. Hansen (writer)
D.M. Lovic (writer)

Genre:

Comedy

Tagline:

How Many Saviors Does One World Need?

Plot:

'The Proper Care & Feeding of an American Messiah' is the mock documentary story of a man who thinks he is a messiah...

Plot Keywords:

Humor | Satire | Independent Film

Cast

Dustin Olson	...	Brian
Joseph Frost	...	Aaron
Ellen Dolan	...	Miriam
Tony Hale	...	Homeowner with Demons
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Anne Dennis	...	Tan Woman
Sierra Dennis	...	Tan Woman's Daughter
Brian Elliott	...	Door Slamming Homeowner
Brian Elliott	...	Door Slamming Homeowner
Aurelio 'B.B.' Enriquez	...	Guy Who Needs Haircut
Brooks Grigson	...	'Six Pack or Keg' Guy
Stephen Gully	...	Young Man
Michael Hancock	...	Large Man
Christopher J. Hansen	...	Interviewer
James Hansen	...	Tim C.
Hunter Hawkins	...	Smoking Guy
Heather Henry	...	Cecilia B.
Greg Lawson	...	Tom Martin
Scott Lilly	...	Bus Station Clerk
D.M. Lovic	...	T-Shirt Clerk
Sherry O'Connor	...	Woman on Street
Steven Pounders	...	Doctor
Brandi Price	...	Nurse
Christopher Ryan	...	Homeless Man
Harry Smith	...	Portly Man

Runtime:

95 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Certification:

USA:Not Rated

Filming Locations:

Bellmead, Texas, USA

Company:

Theoretical Entertainment

Trivia:

Won the Best Mockumentary Feature Award at the 2006 Atlanta Underground Film Festival.

If you enjoy "thinking comedy," this one is "laugh-out-loud funny"

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. :-)