:
Judy Wagner,
Allen Wagner,
Emily Wagner,
more...
:
Andrew Wagner
see all cast/crew...
: Hart Sharp Video
: Comedies, Independent
: 98 min.
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Fact and fiction begin to blur in this comedy drama in which a filmmaker casts his parents, his siblings, and himself in a story loosely adapted from their own lives and personalities. Judy and Allen Wagner (played by Judy Wagner and Allen Wagner) are an elderly couple living in New York City who haven't seen their son, Andrew (Andrew Wagner), in some time. Deciding it's time they paid him a visit, Judy and Allen pack up their van and head out to Los Angeles, where Andrew is trying to make a name for himself as a director and screenwriter. Along the way, Judy and Allen decide to bring their daughters, Maggie (Maggie Wagner) and Emily (Emily Wagner), and the camera plays "fly on the wall" as Judy and Allen openly ponder the successes and failings of their children while they work on crossword puzzles, stop for meals, engage in small talk, and deal with the presence of fellow traveler Bumby (Judy Dixon). The first feature from Andrew Wagner, The Talent Given Us was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the 2004 CineVegas Film Festival. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
GreenCine Says:
Andrew Wagner's The Talent Given Us "is a brave, funny, affecting film that follows his parents and two sisters as they drive from New York to Los Angeles, picking up a family friend in Iowa," wrote Roger Ebert in his 3 and a half star review. "All of this somehow adds up, as I wrote from Sundance, to a movie that is 'seemingly honest.'"
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| Family Matters
by talltale
July 13, 2006 - 4:52 PM PDT
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The kind of look at a family you probably won't find soon again, THE TALENT GIVEN US is weird and shocking because the family in question allowed its moviemaker son to film a road trip across country, in which the family ostensibly goes to visit him. The result is an odd mixture of documentary and "sort-of" fiction, in which the family plays itself (embarrassingly well, in most cases), so it's often difficult for the viewer to know when, if ever, the "reality" stops (or starts). But it's easy to go along with this group, nutty as it often seems; each individual is fun and sad and hyper-real.
Along the way the group connects with a couple of friends, fights, makes up, and keeps on trucking. I found myself never quite sure whether the family's need to perform outweighed its actual performance (mom and dad often come off like mom and dad times ten), but I was seldom bored.
As good as the movie is (or isn't, depending on your taste), the DVD "special feature" about how the director and his kin self-marketed the movie is even more interesting than the film itself. Would-be moviemakers could surely learn a lot from this amazing DVD feature about the need for immense effort and persistence if you're going to make and then try to market an independent film. |
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GreenCine Member Rating
(Average 6.75)
4 Votes
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