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Reviews
The Proper Care & Feeding of an American Messiah (2006)
Purposeful hilarity--laughs and life lessons
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."