As the world of ‘reality TV’ has taken over as the #1 form of entertainment in most households (much to my dismay), it hardly seems surprising that one can begin to find it working its way into the world of the stage. “This So Called Disaster” follows the cast of Sam Shepard’s 2000 stage play, “The Late Henry Moss” as they prepare for its opening night performance. Where this subject matter might not normally be interesting to the average moviegoer, the ‘hook’, as it were, of this documentary is in the play’s cast, which is made up of Nick Nolte, Sean Penn, Woody Harrelson and Cheech Marin. Having spent a good portion of the 80’s and 90’s performing in various stage plays, added to the fact that I (oddly enough considering my job) prefer seeing plays and musicals to watching movies, enjoyed every minute of “This So Called Disaster.” I’m familiar enough with all the goings-on backstage and could appreciate all the built-up tension and eventual outbursts of the cast and crew.

And where one might think the egotistical nature of actors can only be found amongst those fortunate enough to be ‘paid and famous’, believe me you’ll find the same level of Prima Dona amongst even the lowliest of dinner theatre actors.

What I find most interesting about watching these actors is in trying to determine where their true natures end and the act begins. And I don’t mean the line between the actor and their character, but more the actor as they really are and the actor as they present themselves. Where many viewers might take what they see with a grain of salt, I watched very closely and attempted to pick out the scenes where the actor was playing to the camera. There are some areas where it is glaring, while others a re a lot more subtle. Of course, for the most part, this is simply my opinion, after all I’ve never met these actors, sow how could I really know how they are in real life.

Aside from watching the expected arguments and temper tantrums, I found the film’s strength to lie more in the interview segments with playwright/actor Sam Shepard. I’ve long been a fan of the man’s work, both on stage and on film, and to listen to him as he talks about this particular play and it relevance in his own life was extremely fascinating.

But here is where the film’s good points fade. Director Michael Almereyda put together a fairly straightforward documentary that appealed to me, but its lack of narrative flow at times I imagine would be deadly dull to those average moviegoers looking for a little excitement. Fans of the stage would certainly be more in tune with the pacing and enjoy it a lot more, like I did.

So for this reason I definitely recommend it to viewers who have a love of the theatre and can appreciate the story “This So Called Disaster” has to tell. But if you’ve never set foot in a live theatre or couldn’t tell me the definition of a ‘traditional stage’, it’s unlikely that this film will appeal to you.

Directed by: Michael Almereyda
Starring: James Gammon, Woody Harrelson, Cheech Marin, Nick Nolte, Sean Penn, Sam Shepard
Extras: None
Specifications: Full Screen
Studio: MGM
Release Date: 12/14/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: R (Some Language)
Website

We'll give This So Called Disaster a B.