(USA, 109 min.)
Dir. AJ Schnack, David Wilson.
Programme: Next
(International Premiere)
Parker Posey? Where is Parker Posey? This is a Christopher
Guest movie, isn’t it? It isn’t? Really? This is an actual real-live documentary?
Wow, neat-o.
Branson makes for a surprisingly fascinating case study of
recession-era America. The town has a sparse population of only ten thousand
citizens, yet it’s a boon for the tourism industry, as Branson usually rakes in
something in the ballpark of three billion dollars a year on tourism alone. A
key draw to the quaint Bible Belt town is Branson’s long history of show music,
or performances of family-friendly entertainment made by and for wholesome
middle-class Americans.
The town was hit hard, though, following the recent economic
collapse. Middle of the road families, the kind that comprise the bulk of
Branson’s tourist crowd, felt the pinch the most. Working class Americans are
forced to opt for staycations, which leave the seats of Branson’s once-crowded
music halls sparse and wanting.
Directors AJ Schnack and David Wilson follow a roster of
Bransonians who reveal various stages of how the townspeople are keeping the
spirit of their community alive in such dire times. Among the cast of colourful
characters is a husband-wife-daughter team that opens an extravagant variety
show at exactly the wrong to be investing money in a dwindling field; a single
mother who is living her dream as a Branson performer, but could face the
chopping block as a result of her producers’ need to tighten their belts; and a
gay couple doing their best to foster careers and a family in this
ultra-Christian Broadway of the Bible Belt. There’s also a running thread with
the town’s actively involved mayor, who has showbiz in her blood and does
everything possible to keep her town afloat.
The collective of stories in We Always Lie to Strangers portrays Branson as a captivating mass
of contradictions that lie right in the heart of America. The town seems as
White Bread and Christian as America stereotypes can get, yet it’s also a
thriving spot for the gay community thanks to the appeal of show business and
the opportunities to perform. There’s also an earnestness to the town that
makes it feel as open as a Democratic and as reserved as a Republican. How
these incongruities work together, though, is a perilous dance. As the thread
depicting the gay couple, Chip and Ryan, reveals, this quaint little town
harbours tensions of its own. Chip has two kids from a previous marriage, yet
his ex-wife’s new husband uses faith as a wedge between the family, which
ultimately causes irreparable tensions between Chip, Ryan, and the kids.
The various stories of We
Always Lie to Strangers form a portrait of small-town America that morphs
and changes upon closer inspection. Like the oddities of a Christopher Guest
movie, the subjects of We Always Lie to
Strangers seem like simple country bumpkins on first glance; however, as
the film melds their narratives together and their stories fuse in their
depiction of the difficulty of pursuing the American Dream, We Always Lie to Strangers becomes one an effective and entertaining portrait of recession-era America. The
film itself isn’t nearly as simple as the flavour of its opening number
suggests. Christopher Guest makes these wholesome documentaries look farcically
easy, but beneath the vibrant spirit fingers of We Always Lie to Strangers is an impressive study of how
America’s artistic community has suffered during the nation’s difficult time. Funds
for arts and culture are often the first expenses to go, so folks in the
entertainment business must work harder than ever just to get by. There’s something
fundamentally democratic about this wholesome take on one of America’s greatest
anachronisms. Perhaps it’s time for a change in tune.
Rating: ★★★★ (out of ★★★★★)
We Always Lie to Strangers screens:
Monday, April 29 – 5:30 pm at TIFF Bell Lightbox
Tuesday, April 30 – 1:30 pm at the Isabel Bader
Sunday, May 5 – 4:30 pm at Hart House Theatre
Please visit www.hotdocs.ca for more info on films,
tickets, and show times.
