Smartorhypo Highly Overrated But Still Good

Freaktana A Major Disappointment

SeeQuant Blending excellent reporting and strong storytelling, this is a disturbing film truly stranger than fiction

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

rooprect "MPAA - Rated PG for mild language and thematic elements" Are you kidding me?? The strongest language occurs in the hilariously dramatic scene where one character says "Uncle Will, you're being a butt!" (followed by gasps & horrified expressions).I just thought I'd use that example up front so you'd know what you're in for. "Sons of Provo" is a riotously satirical mockumentary about a Mormon boy band trying to find success in the Utah music scene. Although as one character points out "We're men. Um... which is kind of funny. Why is it a boy band? We should be a man band. I'll bring that up with them later."Not since "Spinal Tap" or the equally witty Christopher Guest music mockumentary "A Mighty Wind" have I heard such great lines. As with Christopher Guest's films, the humor comes from the absurdity and stupidity of clueless musicians. But here in "Sons of Provo" we get a double dose of absurdity due to the squeaky clean approach of characters bound by the strict moral code of the Church. For example, the guys dare to perform a rap song. In the next scene we see a terrified, hysterical girl in the parking lot waiting to be taken home because "rap doesn't come from a very holy place!"What's funny is, while taking satirical jabs like this, the film remains respectful of Mormon culture and never mocks them or anyone. Satire without sarcasm is a tough feat to pull off, but writer/director/actor Will Swenson (himself having been raised Mormon) pulls it off delightfully. The result is pure hilarity that's fun for everyone regardless of what culture, musical taste, faith or lack of faith you have.I counted at least half a dozen gags that are absolutely classic. Like in "Spinal Tap" remember the Stonehenge gag, the 11 gag, and so on? Here we have the same sort of memorable writing and funny deadpan delivery to immortalize some of these scenes in comedy history. You'll love the garage door gag, the ring gag, the malfunctioning microphone stand gag, the "you're being a butt" gag, and the list goes on. Immediately after finishing this movie (and wiping the tears of laughter from my face) I had to watch it again with the subtitles on so I could catch all the lyrics I had missed. Watch the deleted scenes & bloopers for even more hilarity (like the headset mic scene, OMG you'll be howling just like the actors were, hence ruining the take).Ever since "Spinal Tap", the first wildly successful music mockumentary, films have populated the genre with many great & many not-so-great efforts. I'm pleased to announce that "Sons of Provo" falls into the "great" category alongside other gems like "A Mighty Wind" (about folk musicians), "Razzle Dazzle" (about a girls' dance school) and "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" (a real-life heavy metal documentary that's as funny as fiction). If you see any of these films pop up on your radar, be sure to check them out immediately.

notyourordinarymoviecritic "Sons of Provo" intrigued me initially because I know some of the supporting actors--the ones who play Jill Kieth and the recording engineer along with the top-billed ones. It was funny the whole way through. There were only a couple of things where my expectations weren't met. 1)I wasn't ready for the documentary feel it had which made it feel more cheaply made than it actually was. 2)I had listened to the CD several times prior to the movie and was somewhat let down that not any of the songs were played in their entirety. I wouldn't mind seeing it again with my expectations tweaked a little. Yes, it will have a documentary cinematic feel and no, none of the songs will be performed all the way through.My favorite scene would have to be when the band crashes the wedding reception and the bride goes running off crying.That's all. I may write another review when I see it again.

SquidGallery This film is hilarious. There were many moments which paralleled Spiral Tap, which is in a large part its inspiration. The performances are great, with the actors doing their own singing and song writing. Overall a very talented group of people put together a hugely entertaining film with many laugh out loud moments. Done in the Spinal Tap style of a mockumentary, it even parodies this classic in fresh and funny ways. Who new the inner workings of trying to be a successful Christian Boy Band could be so funny? I'm glad somebody thought of it. It should get theatrical play at some point. In the mean time it is definitely checking out in festivals, where it seems to be getting good exposure.

Jeff Howard I saw a screening of this movie in Los Angeles on July 15, 2004. "Sons of Provo" is thoroughly enjoyable. It is well written, acted, directed, shot and cut. I've long been wondering if I would ever see a well-done, very-low-budget independent in the Guffman-Best-In-Show pseudo-doc style. After so many that made me walk out or shut my eyes in pain, "Sons of Provo" delivered the goods in spades. 'Sons of Provo' is about two brothers in their mid-twenties who start an In Sync style boy band and rise to middling success in the small towns of Utah. Imagine laughing out loud at a movie in which the dirtiest word spoken is 'Flip.' The filmmakers did a great job of creating hilariously sincere characters, placing them in a funny situations and keeping the story fresh as the movie progresses. I'd recommend it to absolutely everyone. I can only say that I hope it finds a way onto cable or even art-house screens. Without a single recognizable face in the cast, I know that the producers have their work cut out for them getting this movie to an audience.There is one disclaimer to my review, which is that I am married to a former Mormon. I think I enjoyed the film more because of my familiarity with Mormon life – many times I was laughing because it was like watching my in-laws. However, I'm thinking that Mormon life is to "Sons of Provo" as dog show culture is to "Best In Show." I don't know a thing about dog shows and still thought "Best In Show" was brilliant, the best of Christopher Guest's films. And I bet dog show people loved the movie, probably more than I did. I believe the same will go for "Sons of Provo". I just hope that the filmmakers can convince a distributor somewhere that a general audience will enjoy laughing at what they see as a satire of Mormon culture while the Mormon audience will see this as a lovingly hilarious homage to their culture.