The story in a nutshell: James has waited 12 years for a recalcitrant judge to issue a death certificate for his deceased parents. Only now can their will go to probate. Since their deaths, James has lived in the parents house and raised his siblings, two brothers and a sister. As the titles roll we see James mugging to the camera, making funny faces, in general acting idiotic. In fact my first thought was that he was gay and this would be a story of how Jesus reformed him. Nope. He is straight, and a 35 year old virgin. But he is religious. Well, sort of. We never find out exactly what denomination his faith embraces, we never see a church, a minister, sing any hymns, but we get loads of homespun platitudes. Jesus, we learn, was the parents "anchor" and made James the wonderful guy who raised 3 god-fearing siblings. But as the story unfolds we find the late parents were a pair of compulsive hoarders who stuffed their tiny home with loads of clutter and junk. Furthermore, they have secreted thousands of dollars in cash just about everywhere and only James' lack of interest in cleaning the squalid house has prevented him finding the loot.
The sister he raised has become a a shrill, nasty and greedy harpy whose only achievement has been to marry an older, possibly mentally challenged fellow who she humiliates at every opportunity.
The next brother has become a drug addict and returns to town only to collect on the will. Since a hard-core junkie is not in keeping with the uplifting nature of this film, the writer/director has made the brother a funny retro addict, bypassing the contemporary image of a crack-head and the earlier hippy-dippy LSD freak image and making him a beatnik type who spouts political nonsense and acts befuddled like a bad imitation of Maynard Krebbs.
The last sibling is the eponymous Bobby, an indifferent goth kid who also dresses like a preppy of 1980's vintage when he thinks it will help his dating chances. His age is also up for grabs. The tag-line for the film calls him a 15 year old, he is said to be 16 in the film dialog, but he is able to legally buy and drive a car which would make him 18, at least in Ohio where the film was made.
There is also an honorary brother, Eric, a goth buddy of Bobby who lives with them when his drunken mother is having a bad day. His age too is a mystery. He is apparently a high school senior like his friend but his mom appears to be about 65 years old. I guess the booze really takes its toll.
Then we have James himself: Since he must have been 21 when his parents died in order to have custody of the siblings, and since we are told he has been pursuing the death certificate for 12 years, his minimum age must be 33. He has no apparent means of support, no job and his source of income is a mystery. We know he likes to dress up in funny costumes and he encourages Bobby to do likewise. He claims this is a biblical directive. And though his Christian philosophy has produced tragic results so far, he browbeats little Bobby constantly to "get right with God". James himself is a sorry role model: round shouldered, pot bellied, flabby, and largely ignorant of stuff like legal procedures, financial planning, home repair, just about anything a surrogate dad should know, he reacts to most situations by playing an over-age class clown, acting childish and silly when he is at a loss for words. Even little Bobby seems more mature.
If this seems like a dark drama about a dysfunctional family, bear in mind that this is a COMEDY! The film maker offers this as "something that's really unusual in the Christian market." There is more but if you want to experience the full measure of this films' madness you must watch it yourself, if you can find a copy. It had its premier at the Grace CMA Church in Middleburg Hts., Ohio so its not exactly a festival fave! The database does not provide a merchandise link although Amazon will sell you a copy. I think Redbox declined to get involved.
The film is "basically targeting a teenage audience and also meant for college students" according to the film maker but it's difficult to imaging even the most pious Xian teens greeting this story with anything but groans. My feeling is the target audience is made up of old deacons who sign the purchase orders for church study materials. For although this film is dreary and deadly in every respect, it is NOT offensive in the slightest. There is not a single kiss, no hugs, no romantic talk, no cursing, no introspective thoughts, and only the most vague and broad references to religion. There is no theological discussion here and, unless you are Jewish, nothing in this film will conflict with your faith, or lack thereof.
With the exception of the actor who plays James, (a credited voice actor and a professional clergyman) the players have but one credit, this film, to their names. By using hobby actors, their own home as a set, their own screenplay and non-union crew, the Staron twins have brought in a completed film for next to nothing. It's hard to imagine films like this losing money, especially since this genre is known for low quality product. While I find their film awful in every respect, I must admit their strategy is brilliant. If they make a few more of these niche films and maintain their high return on investment they may well be on their way to making better mainstream films. In the meantime the Starons can claim the titles of "Ed Wood" and "William Beaudine" of Xian films.
The sister he raised has become a a shrill, nasty and greedy harpy whose only achievement has been to marry an older, possibly mentally challenged fellow who she humiliates at every opportunity.
The next brother has become a drug addict and returns to town only to collect on the will. Since a hard-core junkie is not in keeping with the uplifting nature of this film, the writer/director has made the brother a funny retro addict, bypassing the contemporary image of a crack-head and the earlier hippy-dippy LSD freak image and making him a beatnik type who spouts political nonsense and acts befuddled like a bad imitation of Maynard Krebbs.
The last sibling is the eponymous Bobby, an indifferent goth kid who also dresses like a preppy of 1980's vintage when he thinks it will help his dating chances. His age is also up for grabs. The tag-line for the film calls him a 15 year old, he is said to be 16 in the film dialog, but he is able to legally buy and drive a car which would make him 18, at least in Ohio where the film was made.
There is also an honorary brother, Eric, a goth buddy of Bobby who lives with them when his drunken mother is having a bad day. His age too is a mystery. He is apparently a high school senior like his friend but his mom appears to be about 65 years old. I guess the booze really takes its toll.
Then we have James himself: Since he must have been 21 when his parents died in order to have custody of the siblings, and since we are told he has been pursuing the death certificate for 12 years, his minimum age must be 33. He has no apparent means of support, no job and his source of income is a mystery. We know he likes to dress up in funny costumes and he encourages Bobby to do likewise. He claims this is a biblical directive. And though his Christian philosophy has produced tragic results so far, he browbeats little Bobby constantly to "get right with God". James himself is a sorry role model: round shouldered, pot bellied, flabby, and largely ignorant of stuff like legal procedures, financial planning, home repair, just about anything a surrogate dad should know, he reacts to most situations by playing an over-age class clown, acting childish and silly when he is at a loss for words. Even little Bobby seems more mature.
If this seems like a dark drama about a dysfunctional family, bear in mind that this is a COMEDY! The film maker offers this as "something that's really unusual in the Christian market." There is more but if you want to experience the full measure of this films' madness you must watch it yourself, if you can find a copy. It had its premier at the Grace CMA Church in Middleburg Hts., Ohio so its not exactly a festival fave! The database does not provide a merchandise link although Amazon will sell you a copy. I think Redbox declined to get involved.
The film is "basically targeting a teenage audience and also meant for college students" according to the film maker but it's difficult to imaging even the most pious Xian teens greeting this story with anything but groans. My feeling is the target audience is made up of old deacons who sign the purchase orders for church study materials. For although this film is dreary and deadly in every respect, it is NOT offensive in the slightest. There is not a single kiss, no hugs, no romantic talk, no cursing, no introspective thoughts, and only the most vague and broad references to religion. There is no theological discussion here and, unless you are Jewish, nothing in this film will conflict with your faith, or lack thereof.
With the exception of the actor who plays James, (a credited voice actor and a professional clergyman) the players have but one credit, this film, to their names. By using hobby actors, their own home as a set, their own screenplay and non-union crew, the Staron twins have brought in a completed film for next to nothing. It's hard to imagine films like this losing money, especially since this genre is known for low quality product. While I find their film awful in every respect, I must admit their strategy is brilliant. If they make a few more of these niche films and maintain their high return on investment they may well be on their way to making better mainstream films. In the meantime the Starons can claim the titles of "Ed Wood" and "William Beaudine" of Xian films.
