This is one of the most sarcastic — yet affectionate — films I’ve ever seen.
Also one of the funniest.
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| Whilte the young cast members stare in nervous astonishment, Amos (Ben Platt) and Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon) interrupt a rehearsal to indulge in another of their many artistic arguments. |
Gordon and Lieberman’s mockumentary was a smash hit at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and took home the coveted U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award.
So … let the curtain rise!
With summer approaching, AdirondACTS founder Joan (Amy Sedaris) and general manager Rita (Caroline Aaron) once again scout local school theater productions, in order to entice kids to attend — and their parents to help fund — their scrappy upstate New York theater camp. Alas, this undertaking proves calamitous; the strobe effects during a production of Bye, Bye Birdie send Joan into a shock coma.
(The fact that this crisis is milked for humor, gives a sense of how edgy the script will be.)
Responsibility for overseeing the summer’s activities therefore falls to Joan’s oblivious “crypto bro” son, Troy (Jimmy Tatro), a clueless failure-to-launch who probably didn’t graduate junior high school. His arrival coincides with busloads of eager young thespians, which horrifies Rita and the rest of the staff, notably drama instructors Amos (Ben Platt) and Rebecca-Diane (Molly Gordon). Their goal: to keep Troy the hell away from day-to-day activities.
Alas, Troy is so dense that he can’t take even sledge-hammer hints. His effort to introduce himself to the assembled children, on the first morning, totally fails to quell the eager chatter of reuniting friends and eager newcomers.
Then Amos grabs the microphone and croons “Oh, what a beautiful…”
…at which point, all the kids snap to attention and sing, in unison, “morning!”
Right then, the film becomes can’t-miss captivating.
Additional key staff members include Gigi Charbonier (Owen Thiele), the outrageously flamboyant costume designer; the equally overstated dance instructor, Clive DeWitt (Nathan Lee Graham); and Glenn (Noah Galvin), the overworked stage manager who always is on hand when desperately needed, and appears to have his own untapped yearnings for the spotlight.
As if the beloved Joan’s departure isn’t bad enough, Troy learns that the camp is inches from financial ruin and receivership. This detail also is possessed by smug Caroline Krauss (Patti Harrison), representative of a rival, upscale-snooty neighboring camp — “All their kids get iPads” — that has long coveted the land on which AdirondACTS resides.
Troy, idiot that he is, fails to understand the implications of the “partnership offer” that Caroline dangles, as a supposed financial lifeline.
This behind-the-scenes complication remains unknown to most staff members, who set about auditioning kids for a season that will include Damn Yankees, an immersive version of Cats and The Crucible Jr. Additionally, Amos and Rebecca-Diane always write an original musical each season; this year’s entry — Joan, Still — will honor their founder.
Amos and Rebecca-Diane — long-time best friends, but never romantic partners — have suffered for their art: Juilliard failures making the most of the adulation they get as AdirondACTS instructors. Platt and Gordon’s rat-a-tat timing is impeccable, although Amos and Rebecca-Diane’s pretentious interactions sometimes make them sound more like frenemies than colleagues. He’s overly bossy and condescending; she channels the past lives of her students.
Their collaborative efforts on Joan, Still evoke memories of Mel Brooks’ The Producers, in terms of the wincingly awful — and borderline tasteless — songs being concocted.
Platt and Gordon come by their musical chops and comic timing honestly. They grew up together, and — as children — co-starred in productions of Fiddler on the Roof and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He subsequently won Tony, Emmy and Grammy Awards for originating the title role in Broadway’s Dear Evan Hansen.
Galvin’s handling of the somewhat androgynous Glenn is intriguing. He seems more a shy backstage pixie than a conventional human being; his perceptive gaze and insightful advice always are right on the mark.
Tatro is a stitch. He makes Troy a bundle of useless energy: a goof who believes himself to be an awesomely clever social media influencer. Tatro totally nails this dim-bulb dweeb.
A handful of the kids are equally talented stand-outs, starting with Bailee Bonick’s Mackenzie Thomas, who can hold a musical note for an astonishing length of time. Shy camp newcomer Devon (Donovan Colan) hopes to emerge from his shell, while Luke Islam’s Christopher towers over everybody else, and is one helluva vocal belter.
Alan Kim also is a hoot as pint-sized Alan Park, a wannabe talent agent who constantly “borrows” Rita’s phone in an effort to swing a deal.
All the set-pieces are marvelous: from the inevitable audition montage, to Troy’s lame effort to raise some $$$ by “renting” some kids out to cater a restaurant dinner event, having persuaded them that it’s an interactive theater exercise.
Only one element lands flat: Ayo Edebiri’s Janet, a résumé fabricator who lies her way into getting hired by Troy. It’s a clever idea, but the script never knows what to do with her, and Edebiri’s flat performance doesn’t help.
The film budget couldn’t have been far north of $1.97. Jordan Janota and Charlotte Royer’s production design is modest — filming took place at the former Kutz Camp in Warwick, New York — and Nat Hurtsellers’ cinematography is old-school grainy. But these touches actually add to the film’s charm, reflecting the spit-and-bailing wire community theater budgets that necessitate inspiration.
Movie-going is always about happy surprises, and this one’s a delightful treat.
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