Lights, Camera, Paparazzi
Thursday, May 15, 2008 - Remdua
I’m sure you all have waited with baited breath since my last blog entry about my upcoming trip to see the premiere of the documentary America the Beautiful. Sorry I’ve not written sooner, but all the wild parties with celebrities took its toll on me…
OK, there weren’t any wild parties (and if there had been my wife wouldn’t have let me go) but there was a nice reception after the film where I had the chance to meet Director Darryl Roberts and one of the main characters in the film, model Gerren Taylor. Darryl was very generous and I, along with a colleague from Remuda Ranch, got to skip the lines and sit in VIP seating (that’s about as glamorous as it got). Darryl is a genuinely warm person and greeted me with a large hug after the film.
Other notable attendees were Ophelia’s Place founder, Mary Ellen Clausen and Tom and Doris Smeltzer, parents of Andrea Smeltzer who died from Bulimia at age 19. And, maybe most interesting of all, Chris Keefe, the guy who makes some of the most outlandish remarks in the film about the “perfect woman” was there risking life and limb mingling with the crowd (I give the guy credit—he seems willing to face criticism for some of the dumb and offensive things he said).
To find out more about the film, read my review below. Oh, and by the way, I did survive the paparrazi who chased me back to my hotel—see the photo below for proof!
America the Beautiful- Film Review
The documentary America the Beautiful is a film that has found a built-in audience with those who work in the field of eating disorder treatment, but will it grow beyond that audience and impact American culture? That is one of the questions looming in my mind as I left the premiere of the film in Chicago. One hope that it does, for director Darryl Roberts has made a film that pulls back the veil on the beauty industry without being mean-spirited or agenda driven. Instead he seems to be on a personal quest to discover why so many women feel unhappy with their appearance and the cultural machine that causes Americans to spend billions on the diet and beauty industry every year.
The film opens with a comparison between two 12 year-old girls. One, (I’m not sure her name is ever given) looks into the camera and tells you that she feels ugly and that nothing anyone says can change her mind (while, in fact, she is quite a charming young lady). The other 12 year-old is Gerren Taylor, who, at the time, was something of a prodigy in the world of high fashion and shared the runway with the world’s supermodels. This comparison sets the stage for the next 100 minutes or so as Roberts attempts to understand how two 12 year-old who don’t seem that different can experience such polar opposites in their perception of beauty and self-image.
The film follows the career of Taylor as she hits the highs and lows in the fashion world and explores the shocking and at times disturbing experiences of a 12 year-old thrust into the adult world of fashion,—including parties, photo shoots and the constant judgements of her body. All this under the care of her ambitious and body-conscious mother.
In between the “chapters” of Gerren’s story, Roberts’ explores topics such as plastic surgery, photo-retouching, cultural perceptions of beauty and eating disorders. If you’ve worked in the field of eating disorders for long you will be reminded of Joan Lunden’s Behind Closed Doors and much of Jean Kilbourne’s work, but flavored with more curiosity and cultural exploration. In fact, Robert’s narration is so calm and even that one might mistake it for indifference. But, as you listen you experience a sense of amazement and growing shock at how far our culture has degraded women and objectified their bodies.
But even as we are calmed by Robert’s voice you sense there is trouble looming ahead. He seemingly innocently reveals the suspect policies of celebrity magazines, cosmetic manufacturers, (one of the most disturbing sequences involves exposing the harmful ingredients in most cosmetic products on the shelves today) plastic surgeons, fashion industry leaders and so called beauty experts. There is no doubt that if given enough attention there will be a price to pay for many of those exposed.
The film ends with two moving sequences. The first explores the effects of our cultural obsession with beauty and thinness in the form of eating disorders. For most professionals in the field this will be familiar ground but there is a great sense of satisfaction in seeing these issues brought to the big screen.
The second sequence finds us in an intimate conversation with the child-model (now about 15) as she discusses her own sense of beauty. After 3 years of constant comparison, measurement and evaluation, including being told she was too big for Italian fashion shows Gerren echoes the words of the other 12 year-old at the show’s beginning. “I’m ugly and fat” and there is no convincing her otherwise. We are used to blaming fashion models for the unhealthy expectations on women’s bodies, but we see here that they are often the victims as much as the average woman and in some ways more so.
This is a powerful film that challenges us and asks difficult questions. The heart of the film is to incite change in our culture and the effect has the potential (as said by movie critic Roger Ebert) to “rescue the lives of some girls age 12 and up.”
Having said all that, be warned. America the Beautiful is not for the young or those offended by graphic language. And while there is no nudity there are many images of models wearing very little clothing and several discussions involve frank language about sexuality. When combined with several utterances of four-letter words, and cultural commentary by playwright Eve Ensler, these earn the film an R rating.
If you want to support the message of this film and be able to recommend it to colleagues and clients watch for it to come to your city and go on opening weekend. Just like movies produced my large studios, independent films like this depend on high numbers the opening weekend. But, unlike those larger films, they may not show a second weekend without earning their place in the theater.
For more information, go to http://www.americathebeautifuldoc.com.
Travis Stewart
Professional Counselor
Remuda Ranch
True Campaign Team
Fighting off the Paparazzi!