Release Date – 4/22/11 (limited)
Ventriloquism is a form of comedy that has been around for a long time but it never really gets the respect that regular standup comedy does. Maybe because its silly to think of a grown person using a dummy to make their jokes. Or maybe its true that there just aren’t many great ventriloquists out there practicing their craft. Regardless, this documentary takes a look at five people at various stages of success in their careers as ventriloquists. It looks at the lowest lows and the highest highs in a difficult profession to succeed in. The movie had some charm to it but also some sadness as it really seems like a struggling profession. But overall it was enjoyable and showed some people who never give up on their dream.
The best success story showcased was Terry Fator. He was a winner of the TV show contest America’s Got Talent. He won a million dollars and started playing shows in Vegas. Terry became so popular that he now has his own theater and signed a $100 million dollar, 5 year contract. This is a guy who thought of giving up on his dream because he was in his 40s and still not seeing any success. The next level would be Dan, a master manipulator of his puppets. Some think he’s the best at life-like movements. But he’s stuck in a circuit of cruise ship shows that keep him away from his family for months at a time. He has some success in life but he’s very lonely. One step down from him is Kim. She’s a former beauty queen who has been trying to get out of the string of kids shows to branch off into more adult stuff. She desperately wants the cruise ship gig because she is single with no kids. One more step down on the ladder is Wilma, an older woman who isn’t that great with her ventriloquism and mainly plays elderly homes with 10 people in the crowd. She’s just struggling to get by and fighting off eviction from her home. And finally, Dylan is a 13 year old kid who has only done his act in front of his school and family a couple times. He is trying to break onto the scene by getting an agent. It really is a different story for each person and shows you how good or how bad the life of a ventriloquist can be.
Besides Terry Fator, the stories are somewhat sad. I’m sure Terry’s was kind of sad before he hit it big but we only get successful Terry in this documentary. Dan’s marriage is falling apart and he can’t break away from his cruise line gig. Kim seems to be failing at every attempt to have that big break out performance that launches her to the next level. Wilma isn’t very skilled at all. In fact, she’s awkward and not very funny but has blinders up and keeps motoring through her terrible gigs. And then you just feel bad for Dylan who auditions in front of the owner of a Portable Circus. You can tell the guy doesn’t want to smash his dreams but can’t hire a kid who isn’t funny and not comfortable with his puppet (who happens to be black while Dylan is white trying to do an urban voice for him). The filmmakers really knew how to show both ends of the spectrum which made the documentary interesting. Its informative too as I didn’t know much about the ventriloquist community such as the big conventions and online families. It will have a very limited release this month, but its definitely worth checking out if you see pop up somewhere near you.
IMDB – 5.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes – N/A
Movie Wiseguys – 7/10