The Beaver Trilogy

I became interested in Trent Harris' work because of my interest in Crispin Glover, so I managed to get ahold of a copy of The Beaver Trilogy thinking that even if the film itself wasn't any good, at least it would have Crispin dressed as Olivia Newton-John.

And I was happy to find that the film as a whole was so awesome and stands on its own. Though I can see where some people with small attention spans and/or a complete lack of taste might have a problem sitting through its more quiet moments at the beginning, I find that the mark of a person with respectable taste can be found in their capacity to enjoy Trent Harris films.

This collection also makes a wonderful companion film to Rubin and Ed. Trent Harris is a great filmmaker who is completely underappreciated. I love The Beaver Trilogy.

The short that starts this film is the true footage of a guy named Gary, apparently it was taken randomly in the parking lot of a television station where Gary works in the town of Beaver. Gary is a little "different"; he is an impersonator and drives an old Chevy named Farrah (after Fawcett). Lo and behold the filmmaker gets a letter from Gary some time later inviting him to return to Beaver to get some footage of the local talent contest he has put together, including Gary's staggering performace as Olivia Newton Dawn. Oh, my. The two shorts that follow are Gary's story, the same one you just witnessed only the first is portrayed by Sean Penn and the second by Crispin Glover titled "The Orkly Kid." If you are in the mood for making fun of someone this is definitely the film to watch. I was doubled over with laughter through most of it, especially Crispins performance which could definitely stand on it's own. When it was over, I had to rewind the film to once again watch the real Gary and all his shining idiocy. Although Olivia was the focus, I would have liked to have seen one of the "fictitious" shorts take a jab at Gary's Barry Manilow impersonation, whic h was equally ridiculous.

Three words can best describe this collection of 3 short films- one documentary and two dramatic re-enactments- by Trent Harris, of Rubin and Ed fame: SHEER F**KING BRILLIANCE!!! OK so here's the story...

The first film "The Beaver Kid" (1979) kind of fell into the lap of Channel 2 news cameraman and future filmmaker Trent Harris- you just can't write sh*t like this!! One day while doing a camera test in the Channel 2 parking lot in Beaver, Utah, Harris came across a man who was outside the station shooting photos. When the man, who would turn out to be our protagonist Larry Huff, noticed he was being filmed, he approached Harris and told him that he does impersonations. Harris humoured the man, and got him to do a John Wayne impression for the camera. The tape ended up becoming tangled in the camera, and they had to cut the interview short, but before leaving Harris asked Larry whether there were any other exciting stories in Beaver...and if he knew of any ...to get back to him.

It turns out (as revealed in the subsequent two dramatic re-enactments of the two men's relationship) that Larry had gone to the station that day to try and get on TV; on some expose on locals. Larry was turned down, but fate was in his favour that day and he would achieve the mediated immortality that he so gravely sought- as a result of his happenstance meeting with Harris.

A few months later Harris received a letter from Larry asking him to cover the Beaver talent show- with the headliner being him impersonating Olivia Newton John (with who he is absolutely obsessed). Knowing comedic brilliance when he sees/hears it, Harris quickly agrees and heads back to Beaver to meet Larry.

Harris and his soundman meet up with Larry the day of the talent show as he is getting his make-up done....by the local mortician (the best/only aesthetician in town). As he is getting made up Larry reflects on his adoration for Olivia and discusses what he hopes to achieve with his performance. What he wants most isn't really clear- to become famous...or to become Olivia...

Next we are shown the coverage of the talent show, from which it is revealed how talentless the town of Beaver really is. The act culminates with Huff's rendition of an Olivia Newton John ballad in full dragged out garb. Truly the most embarrassing performance I have personally ever witnessed (except for Crispin Glover's re-enactment in the third film- "The Orkly Kid"). The first film ends here with a final performance by Larry (no-longer in Olivia form) and his band.

The second film, "The Beaver Kid 2" (1981), is a low-budget dramatic re-enactment of the story behind the filming of the original documentary, shot in black and white and starring Sean Penn as "Groovin' Larry". In this film we are provided with a little bit of a back story (which has been incorporated into the above paragraphs) as well as a bit of follow-up information. I don't want to give away TOO much, because it's just way too f**king funny. But I will say this...it is roles like this that have made Penn the infamous actor that he is today!

And Harris wasn't finished yet... Still obsessed by his experience with Huff, he decided to re-make the re-enactment, but this time with a little bigger budget, better equipment, and a young Crispin Glover cast as Larry. This third film is called "The Orkly Kid" (1985) and is a little closer to how the actual events and dialogue are portrayed in the first film, but again with the back and follow up elements of the story included.

The performances by both Penn and Glover in the latter two films are nothing short of hilarious....but Glover's performance as Larry as Olivia Newton John in the talent show is so atrocious that it nearly had me pissing my pants!

You may not be able to write brilliance like this...but you sure as hell can adapt it, as Harris proves!! Sure it's cheese, but who said cheese couldn't be artistic gold. This is a must see....especially if you are die hard Penn or Glover fans.

9 out 10. For both the concept and execution on a budget.

True, the trilogy is no spectacle (the way most commercialized Americans would like to see a director handle a trilogy), but that's no reason to write it off as unworthy cinema.

Of course, I'm a little biased (being a huge Crispin Glover fan), but I thought this film served a unique and ultimately wonderful purpose...but if you're not studying acting, you may not see the same study material that I do.

Sean Penn and Crispin Glover both do an amazing job inhabiting the skin of this wayfaring Olivia Newton-John enthusiast, and seeing these two progressive talents picking and choosing tidbits of personality detail from the documentary, and then adding their own experience is something that any avid cinema fan should enjoy. A look into the psyche of the actor as well as the portrayed.

Plus there's the irony of impersonating an impersonator, which really just makes me smile.

In short, it's great study material...and entertaining.

This is how i felt while watching this film. I loved it. It was hilarious. But i did feel a like i was getting sneaky view into somebody's psyche and then laughing as it got twisted around to make an interesting point. A friend put it this way:

"I feel like we broke into somebody's house and are now watching their awful home videos without their knowledge".

Another one of those fact is stranger than fiction pieces of film. "Groovin' Gary", the original "Beaver Kid", is a small town guy who turns up at a nearby TV station in the hope of getting on film - and he certainly does, though not, perhaps, as he initially expected. With high hopes of fame and significance he invites Harris to come and film a truly awful talent quest that he has organised in his home town - headlined by his own drag act "Olivia Newton-Don".

Director, Trent Harris, does a brilliant job with this slowly evolving story. Some footage of an awkward kid who wants to be someone morphs, over two subsequent reinterpretations, into the story of freedom from repressed sexual identity in small town America. Harris simultaneously critiques the attitudes of small town America, the cult of celebrity, and the exploitative practices of the film and television industry.

Both Sean Penn and Grispin Glover pull out stunner performances. a young Sean Penn is the most evocative - so closely does he follow the actual 'Gary footage', but with strong nuances given to push the sense of the interaction the way Harris wants it to go.

In the end the wide-eyed naivety the original Gary is what moved me - when contrasted against these possible interpretations of his situation.

A film not to miss. I have not seen anything else like it.

Jacob.