- Danielson: A Family Movie
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Danielson: A Family Movie 
Advertising poster for the filmDirected by JL Aronson Danielson: A Family Movie is a 2006 documentary film about the Christian indie pop band Danielson. It was directed, filmed, produced, and edited by JL Aronson.
Contents
Content
The film follows the life of Danielson leader, Daniel Smith, from the band's inception in 1993 to 2006. The band started with the creation of Smith's senior thesis project, which became their first album, A Prayer for Every Hour. For live performances, members of the band wear nurse uniforms to represent "the healing power of the Good News".[1] As time passes, members of the band leave and return, as some go to college and get married. The film documents Danielson's lack of belonging in either the mainstream Christian music genre, or the indie music genre.[2] Included are interviews with Smith's parents and fans, sequences of animation, and information about Smith's background. Also included is documentation of Smith's mentoring of songwriter Sufjan Stevens, most famous for his 2005 album, Illinois.
The artwork for the film depicts Smith standing with a large tree costume on, with fruit hanging above. The fruit represents the fruit of the Holy Spirit, "love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control".[2]
Reception
Danielson: A Family Movie received mixed reviews. New York Times reviewer Neil Genzlinger found himself "entranced" for a while, but ultimately found Smith to be "pretentious".[3] Bill White of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer said Smith has an "irritating squeak of a voice", and that his "comical incompetence wins him the adoration of adolescent misfits".[4] Chicago Reader's Monica Kendrick stated in her review that those who aren't fans of the band will dislike the "relative lack of dramatic tension".[5] However, PopMatters reviewer Jennifer Kelly responded positively to the film, saying "it brings us so squarely into Smith’s world". Kelly also found the music to be "remarkable", and that the film depicts "ideal Christianity". Kelly noted the fame achieved by Sufjan Stevens, and that the rest of the members of the band seem "genuinely, unconflictedly positive about their friend’s success".[2] Review aggregator Metacritic compiled six critic reviews of the film, and gave the film a 59/100 ("average").[6]
The film won the audience award at the 2006 Chicago Underground Film Festival.[7]
References
- ^ "Overview". danielsonmovie.com. http://www.danielsonmovie.com/overview.html. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- ^ a b c Jennifer Kelly (April 18, 2007). "Various Artists: Danielson - A Family Movie". PopMatters. http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/various-artists-danielson-a-family-movie-dvd. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- ^ Neil Genzlinger (December 15, 2006). "Danielson: A Family Movie (2006)". New York Times. http://movies.nytimes.com/2006/12/15/movies/15dani.html. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- ^ Bill White (December 15, 2006). "Danielson: A Family Movie". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. http://www.seattlepi.com/movies/295950_limited15.html. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- ^ Monica Kendrick (April 14, 2007). "Danielson: A Family Movie". Chicago Reader. http://www.chicagoreader.com/chicago/danielson-a-family-movie/Film?oid=1073628. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- ^ "Danielson: A Family Movie". Metacritic. http://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/danielsonafamilymovie. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
- ^ "2006 Chicago Underground Film Festival Award Winners". Chicago Underground Film Festival. August 30th, 2006. http://www.cuff.org/blog/2006/08/2006-chicago-underground-film-festival-award-winners/. Retrieved April 14, 2010.
External links
Categories:- 2006 films
- Canadian documentary films
- English-language films
- 2000s documentary films
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