Saturday morning, I had the privilege to attend The Franklin Theatre for a screening of Seriously Red, directed by Gracie Otto and written by Krew Boylan. The film was screening as apart of the 53rd annual Nashville Film Festival, and given the subject matter alongside the film’s heavy dose of Dolly Parton tunes, festival goers couldn’t have asked for a better fit here in the Music City. It was a fine day to appreciate the art of filmmaking, and that’s exactly what Seriously Red had me doing.
The film centers around Red (Boylan), a real estate agent living out of her mom’s converted garage with an aversion to authority and a penchant for grabbing crotches at work parties. Yeah, Red comes across as a hot mess express from the jump. We discover Red has a deeply rooted adulation for Parton, and out of that, she’s developed one hell of an impersonation of her. After she’s fired from the real estate job, she decides to go for broke and push this impersonation thing as far as she can. What follows is a heartwarming tale about ambition and finding your place in the world.
Boylan makes for the heart and soul of this film. It’s her performance that drives it, and her talent and range are on full display here. In her journey, we ride the highs of chasing your dream. We feel the pain of a strained relationship with her mother (Jean Kittson). We laugh alongside her and her friend Francis (Thomas Campbell). And, we damn sure experience the frustration of trying to figure out who you are and how you can become the best version of yourself.
I thought it was pretty clever how Otto and Boylan explored the full gamut of emotion in a setting chock full of people pretending to be people they are not. They tell this late-blooming coming of age tale through a lens of quirky humor, heart, and style – and the “cameos,” if you want to call them that, were a ton of fun to keep up with (Elton John was my favorite). It was a refreshing way to demonstrate the importance of being yourself.
While I felt like Boylan was the heart and soul of the film, she didn’t share a scene with someone who couldn’t match her charisma. Bobby Cannavale was fantastic as Wilson, the former Neil Diamond impersonator who was running the show. Rose Byrne was enigmatic as Elvis. And, Daniel Webber played Kenny Rogers in a way that was equal parts impressive and sad. Red’s….err…I should say “Dolly’s” relationship with “Kenny” is one of the most perplexing aspects of the film. You root for both of these characters to find their way, but in the back of your mind, you can’t shake the notion that it’s all going to go down in flames.
The script and the performances were excellent, but I also rather enjoyed how the film felt like a celebration of the music of Dolly Parton. I loved how they effectively imparted little nuggets of Dolly’s wisdom upon us throughout the film, and I really dug how they used color to make the film feel a lot more vibrant and radiant. All in all, Seriously Red is a complete and solid effort in telling a story of finding oneself and becoming comfortable in your own skin, all told through a creative and colorful lens. And, listen – we’ve all had to piss in a yard before, too.
For more on the Nashville Film Festival, follow them on Twitter and check out their website here.
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley
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