Mockumentaries are not as easy to make as some may think. A filmmaker needs to find a topic that is not only resonant or provides touchstones to many but is believable. Then one must find that certain “spin” to not only bring out exaggerated humor but strike a balance between the extremes of laughter and cruelty. Filmmakers Anthony Guidubaldi and Keith Strausbaugh have done just that with their debut narrative feature, the hilarious and uproarious MARATHON. This is what every mockumentary should be!!!
MARATHON “explores” the life of the long-distance marathon runner as they prepare for a race. We’ve all heard of the Boston Marathon, New York Marathon, Berlin Marathon, Los Angeles Marathon, and more, but there are also dozens upon dozens of smaller but equally impressive marathons out there like Bearfest, Reykjavik, Pikes Peak, and in the case of MARATHON, the fictional Devil’s Canyon Marathon.
Now in its 15th year, the Devil’s Canyon Marathon was founded and is still organized by local shoe store owner Ed Clap. One look at Clap and your mind goes to Wally Cox as“Mr. Peepers”, although Clap is a disheveled and somewhat slovenly version. But Clap’s big selling point is that he believes in swag! Swag for all! Even if “all” means only a tee-shirt and a medal IF you finish the race.
Focusing on five of the runners, we pick up the story three months before race day; meeting the runners, learning their training routines, seeing their home life, getting those up close and personal moments of reflection and thought. Adding to the mix is that an “unprofessional” and “non-professional” documentary film crew is capturing every moment on film.
First, there’s Ryan O’Brien. Ryan missed qualifying for last year’s Boston Marathon by nine seconds and is obsessed with qualifying this year. So obnoxious and arrogant and believing himself to be the greatest runner EVER, you root for Ryan to fail, you pray for him to lose. But let’s not overlook Jenna Kowalski. Ah, Jenna. She is attempting to set a Guinness World Record for running the fastest marathon ever dressed as a fruit; in her case, a banana.
Then there’s Abby Dozier who missed last year’s marathon because of an unexpected pregnancy but now she’s training her little heart out to the point that between training and motherhood, she’s giving her kid the Gatorade instead of herself.
A real competitor who may give the braggadocios Ryan a run for the money is Shareef Washington. As sibling rivalry with his triathlete bully of a sister rears its ugly head, Shareef trains hard but his biggest form of training comes courtesy of the local cops constantly chasing him because, after all, why would a Black man be running unless it was from the law.
Saving the best for last, we meet Emilou Paunch (my spirit animal). With dreams of becoming a lawyer, Emilou is eager to test her mettle of endurance with the marathon; that is, until she receives the runner’s packet and sees the route map which she promptly tosses in the trash and moves on with a nice, normal, binge-watching, snacking life.
As if the characters themselves aren’t funny enough in concept, the respective actors and their performances send them over the top, bringing each to life as a fully fleshed out, three-dimensional “semi-functioning” individual. Drawing on the comedic talents of performers with Cirque du Soleil, Absinthe, Second City, and Blue Man Group, plus some up-and-coming Upright Citizens Brigade actors from LA, Guidubaldi and Strausbaugh have put together an exceptionally strong cast with Jimmy Slonina as Ed Clap, Andrew Hansen as Ryan O’Brien, Anais Thomassian as Abby Dozier, Natalie Sullivan as Jenna Kowalski, Tavius Cortez as Shareef Washington, and Kimia Behpoornia as Emilou Pauch.
Each is as funny as the next, but Hansen’s turn as Ryan is a standout. From the cadence of his dialogue delivery to his snarky tone to physical comedy which really comes to the fore whenever Ryan gets sidetracked talking about his ex-wife, Hansen has you rooting for Ryan’s demise. Also distinguishable is Kimia Behpoornia’s infusion of upbeat fun and pure enjoyment with Emilou. You just want to kick back on the couch with her and dive into that huge jug of cheeseballs.
An eclectic group of characters and actors, the individual storylines for each are hilarious as we watch training foibles and non-sensical ruminations before everyone comes together for the big race. Along the way, we also meet supporting players, like Abby’s whiter-than-the-snow-in-Alaska husband Michael played by Marc Roberts, and Jenna’s surprise love interest, Ben, who is an actor hired by Dole to also wear a banana suit and run in the race. Roberto Raad plays Ben with such a high level of cloying annoyance that while funny up to a point, it becomes a bit tedious by the third act. A really sweet addition to the mix is Andrew Jacobsen’s turn as Clap’s race day assistant, Eric. Each time you see him, you can’t help but smile.
Written, directed, and edited by Anthony Guidubaldi and Keith Strausbaugh, they leave no stone unturned from script to screen. Notable is the film’s visual tonal bandwidth, well crafted with cinematographers Heather Aradas and Sean Gearing. And while in the film, the lensing is supposed to be somewhat bad, bear in mind that it takes some well-thought-out design and skilled cinematographers to make it look bad while maintaining some nice, bright, sunny lighting. One scene where a cameraperson is switched out on demand of a runner, the focus goes intentionally bad and will have you rolling with laughter.
Guidubaldi and Strausbaugh have the golden touch with editing, undoubtedly aided by the fact they were wearing multiple hats as directors and writers, as well as editors. They had a vision and executed that vision. The pace moves at an even clip and the jockeying back and forth between our subjects is clean, natural, and seamless. Noteworthy is the variety of shots within the film capturing everything from wide-angle panoramic views of Devil’s Canyon to intimate familial mid-shots or close-ups to too-funny-for-words embarrassing moments.
MARATHON keeps moving on every level. And while the film’s greatest strength is in its characters and performance, be it story, comedy, jokes, or feet, nothing stagnates. MARATHON is on the move and crosses the finish line a winner.
Written and Directed by Anthony Guidubaldi and Keith Strausbaugh
Cast: Jimmy Slonina, Andrew Hansen, Anais Thomassian, Natalie Sullivan, Tavius Cortez, Kimia Behpoornia, Marc Roberts, Roberto Raad, Andrew Jacobsen
Marathon is on digital and On Demand July 6 from Gravitas Ventures.
