Customer Reviews

Sons of Provo

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"Sons of Provo" is a fantastic satire of a Mormon boy band that is hilarious, fresh, and innovative. Most of all, the talent is incredible, and writer, director, producer, actor and singer Will Swenson, who has looks and charisma as well, is obviously headed for big-time stardom. Filmed on a shoe-sting budget, they make the most of every dollar, with excellent sound and editing, and inventive costuming and sets. The film starts as 2 brothers audition for a 3rd singer for their band, and we watch it grow from rehearsing in mom's garage, through their early days of horrendous gigs, to popularity.

Will Swenson plays the control freak "leader," and Danny Tarasevich his brother, who adds a little Buddhism to his Christianity, along with some Prozac. Kirby Heyborne (who was so good in the wonderful "Saints and Soldiers" as Flight Sergeant Winley) is the new addition to the group, and is a sensitive soul who likes to scrapbook. All 3 are terrific singers and actors, and the songs are inventive and fun in their absurdity. One of the best scenes is when Will reads a review that rips their show apart with acerbic sarcasm, as if it was complimentary, and it is a side-splitter.

Others in the cast that shine are Jennifer Erekson as their manager, Peter Brown (who also co-wrote and produced) as their first inept manager, the marvelous Maureen Eastwood as their choreographer, and the a cappella group Moose Butter makes a cameo appearance. The DVD has many extras, and the commentaries by Will, Peter, Danny and Kirby are informative and amusing. Don't miss Kirby's "beat box" in the "Deleted Scenes." If you enjoy mockumentaries, you'll love "Sons of Provo." Total running time is 93 minutes.

If you're LDS and you "get" Rob Reiner's 1983 film "This Is Spinal Tap" (admittedly a small subset of the general populace), you'll absolutely love this movie; if not, well, your mileage may vary. It has the same sort of irony, clueless characters, and hilariously inane music--it even has a character named "N. Tufnel, Jr."--but minus all the f-bombs (unless, of course, you count "flip," "fetch," and "frick"). All three of the principal actors add something special to the film: Will Swenson is the best comic, playing the "Christopher Guest" role; Danny Tarasevich is the best singer and dancer; and Kirby Heybourne is the best pure actor, contributing his usual sympathetic, boy-next-door quality. The film manages to poke fun at just about every Mormon cliche and stereotype imaginable, but in a way that shouldn't leave non-Mormons mystified, and the music, well--it's brilliant and ultimately makes the film the entertaining piece that it is.

This is my kids' favorite movie to watch on Sunday evenings. You probably wouldn't catch most of the humor if you aren't LDS or don't live in Utah, but Mormons should all get a good laugh from it.

My only complaint is there is one song full of "potty words". The song is titled "Dang, Fetch, Oh my Heck" and starts out with the lyrics, "Dang! Fetch! Oh my Heck! What the holy scrud? / H-E double hockey sticks! That's frickin' flippin' crud!" It is supposed to be funny. . . and wouldn't be a problem for most people, but my four-year old repeats it over and over again.

video was great! we all laughed and wanted to spread the movie around with everyone we know... songs are great and the guys are insane!! love this movie

I gave this glorious turd three stars for the shot-on-the-cheap, but the idea, the attempt, that deserves the full five stars. If you're like me, a desert rat transplant outsider scraping along here in Iran, U.S.A., this deliciously, gloriously, LOUSY fun turkey is full of belly laughs; it thoroughly and with malicious glee lampoons all of the feudal local command society that is Utah. It was such a stunning success shot on such little money (amateur, I mean really, really cheap looking, instant direct-to-video BAD film making) that it was banned at the local theaters here in Utah's Vatican City by one of the business powers-that-be who owned the chain. A must, MUST viewing for anyone who wants to "get" Utah and enjoys some great tongue-in-cheek groovy bubblegum pop songs. Really, the evident quality between the film (amateur, shot on the lam) and soundtrack (very, very well done) is night and day. Buy both, and if you can get the SONS OF PROVO CONFIDENTIAL DVD (I ran all over town here in Salt Lick City and bought every copy, something like 10 of them, at the Temple Grounds' LDS BOOKSTORE at 90% off, to pass them around among my BAD music through-the-mails friends as some great jokes), buy it, too, though the running time on ...CONFIDENTIAL is a little skimpy.

If you like this, THE Mormon THIS IS SPINAL TAP, I suggest running down Richard Dutcher's work (especially BRIGHAM CITY!), and that awful remake, the Nick Cage turkey, THE WICKER MAN, which is about Utah--beehives, the angry, grumpy, controlling women, and emasculated men who serve them. Better yet, take a trip to Salt Lake during one of the multi-level marketing conventions and watch DAY OF THE DEAD performed live in the streets and on the TRAX lightrail when the Salt Palace lets out.

This is a pretty good mockumentary following the hit Mormon boy band Everclean. The awkward/funny moments abound in this glimpse into the shallow world of the members of this boy band. For fans of Kirby Heyborn and Will Swenson this is probably a must-see. The original songs are quite listenable with witty lyrics.

This movie is hilarious. I'm from California, but lived in Provo while at BYU, so maybe spending time there, and being a Mormon, I am able to 'get' more of the jokes than someone without those experiences...I could see how somebody (my neighbor and my mom to name couple) would just watch it with a blank stare though. This definitely caters to a specific audience. You also need to 'get' the kind of humor in shows like "The Office"...if you like that show, and you're LDS or familiar with Mormon culture (especially the Utah valley sub-culture), then you'll laugh at least a few times watching this.

I definitely fit into the audience the writers had in mind. I laugh longer and louder each time I watch it!

If you like the Office, BBC or NBC, and you have any knowledge of LDS culture, than you will enjoy this movie. The mocumentary follows the boys as they try and create a "boy band" in Provo, Utah while singing "hip" songs about different LDS idiosyncrasies. The song's include: Everclean, Word Of Wizzum, Love Me, But Don't Show Me, Diddly Wack Mack Mormon Daddy, Wait For Me, Spiritchal As Me, Sweet Spirit (a ballad), Nourish And Strengthen Our Bodies & Do Us The Good That We Need, Dang, Fetch, Oh, My Heck and Beautiful Inside. If you know something about LDS culture, just the song titles are enough to induce giggling. The titles do not do the lyrics and the performances justice. There were several fall out of your chair moments. If you have a funny bone, this movie is worth the investment.

Actually, I got this movie along with three others together on eBay. At first I thought it was a promo for an actual band so when I watched it I was very disappointed because I thought the band was so lame...well in reality that is what it was intended to be. But I think there is a great message here about pride, ego, control, submissiveness, being overly accepting of others, falling into trends that reinforce exploitation, and so on. Although it is a spoof on certain aspects of LDS life, it does nothing to demean the Church itself. I think instead it sends a message to those who take Utah Mormon life so seriously that they avoid their own identity and are fearful to be themselves--which goes for the members of the band. The only two persons who stand out who are themselves is the first manager who had it all wrong and built expertise out of mediocrity, and the second manager who had it all right but was too timid to express herself until the end, which worked out great.

Being a West Coast Mormon, it is a bit different than some hardcore Provo type where 97% or so of the community is LDS. That is not to say that I or they believe any differently, but it is to say that they take their lives often to be the center of the universe and get in return a very myopic view of life as it exists in the rest of the world, and in fact they often tend to reject it or put down those who exist outside of their community. That is simply how it is, and it is understandable. I think this movie attacks that, at times, insipid viewpoint but where it falls short is that it does not connect with others in the Church who actually are what they see as being missing in the Provo/Utah culture.

It took me maybe three times watching it before I felt I finally got what the movie is about and it is now one of my favorites. I like Kirby Heyborne and I think the roles he plays permits the other characters to blow it such that it illuminates misplaced emotions and notions of what is right and wrong in a social as well as personal context. The message in this movie is very clear, and that is if you conceptualize yourself in vague ways that identify with a blurry concept of self, others, organization or whatever you are going to move very slowly through life and you will be spending most of your time self-justifying. It shows that personal identity is clarified through the acceptance of others who may lessen your control but broaden your perception of others in ways that permit kindness and understanding to displace ego, bias, and ignorance.

I suppose I'm easily taken. I bought this movie because of the few good reviews on this page. Don't be as naive. I was ready to laugh and have fun watching this DVD, but what a disappointment. I just don't see much more in Will Swensen than a mere smart-alec. Oddly enough, the music is not bad (my wife liked it even better than the music of the group they are mocking). What is bad is the movie itself; it's just not funny. If you like good spoof or satire, don't waste your time with this one.