One of the greatest parts about the film industry is getting a look into the local scene for wherever you are and realizing that it's actually a relatively small world. A friend and colleague of my dad named Bruce Dellis is also a screenwriter/director and recently had the limited release of his film Raising Buchanan. Completely shot and produced in and around my hometown of Phoenix, Arizona, this film is a pleasant and offbeat comedy that works in all the right places. Its peculiar premise might be a bit offputting but because of this film's writing, it is not difficult to get engrossed in. The performances only add to how effective this movie is, as there are some excellent and relevant, comedic callbacks all throughout. Despite a minor issue with some pacing due to its editing, Raising Buchanan is an incredibly humorous and fun story that I am fortunate to have a close connection with.
Ruth (Amanda Melby) is a down-on-her-luck and seemingly aimless woman who lives with her roommates Meg (Cathy Shim) and Holly (Jennifer Pfalzgraff). When they start to get desperate for money to pay their rent and Ruth's dad's medical bills, they decide to steal the corpse of former President James Buchanan (Rene Auberjonois) and hold him for ransom. What they don't expect, however, is how little anyone seems to care about him or their mission. Dellis' script for this film is what elevates this very simple and weird plot to a force of comedic power. While anyone could read this film's synopsis and rightfully think how offbeat its premise is, that is where its strongest aspects actually lie. This story does not have any right to be as entertaining as it is, as Dellis flexes his comedic muscles in every single scene. This film is riddled with a strange feeling of incredibly dry comedy and while some jokes may work for some and not work for others, there is no denying that his screenwriting and full-circle ideas are written fantastically. The use of callbacks and one-liners in the script were hilarious as well and hit me very hard. Paired with his effective direction, it is clear that Dellis had an exact idea for the way that he wanted to tell this amusing story. I loved how much I genuinely cared about these characters by its conclusion, especially Ruth, who had such a solid and satisfying arc.
Along with how offbeat this story was, one of its most obvious elements making up the plot is the dynamic between Ruth and Buchanan, as she sees him in her head as an almost imaginary figure. The relationship between the two not only provided a lot of moral and developmental lessons for Ruth but historical lessons for the audience as well. I definitely learned a lot more about this disgraced president than I ever thought I would and that aspect of the script was incredible. Their dynamic was absolutely hilarious and the way that Buchanan's dialect and traditional views contrasted that of Ruth's modern and more progressive views was amazing. This particularly comes from the performances from Melby and Auberjonois, as their chemistry was undeniable. They both completely embodied these strangely-fitting characters and made way for some of the best scenes throughout this film. One of the best standout performances, however, came from Cathy Shim as Ruth's roommate Meg. Her comedic timing and delivery of some of these one-liners made this film shine immensely bright and brought an entirely new level of comedy to it. Bret Kalmbach's cinematography was great too, suiting every scene very well, from his use of handheld camera for the comedy to still shots for the drama. I have to give props to this entire cast and crew, of course, as they all were part of the making of such a wildly enjoyable movie.
This film works on just about every level that it's supposed to and I was so happy to find that every piece came together to create a pleasant, funny piece of cinema. The one minor technical thing about Raising Buchanan that I had an issue with, however, was the editing. Dellis wrote, directed, and also edited this film all by himself and while that can be crucial to an indie filmmaker like him in order to fully communicate his vision, I feel that a separate editor should have been hired. Perhaps it was budget constraints or just personal preference, but seeing a film from someone else's eyes while editing can often be very refreshing and this new perspective can bring a whole other level of expertise to a film. There were many moments throughout this film that almost missed their mark with the timing of the jokes due to the editing. While the gags themselves were written well, I feel that the editing made their impact a bit too awkward at times. I understand how frustrating giving handing that responsibility to someone else could be, but I feel that through the eyes of another editor, the film could have been tightened up a bit more. Other than this small, personal issue of mine, there is no doubt that this story is a fantastic and responsibly-made film.
Raising Buchanan is a simple but wildly entertaining film that I found myself relentlessly laughing at. Perhaps it was because of the offbeat and enjoyable weirdness of it or perhaps my experience was heightened because of my personal connection, but regardless, this film is absolutely incredible. Support independent filmmaking!
My Rating: ★★★★
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