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- ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!!
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Check out this movie in DVD
Clare's Rating: I've been waiting for How's Your News? to be released on DVD for about 5 years. So to say I'm a little excited to finally own my own copy is a bit of an understatement.
Clare's Review: The first time I saw How's Your News? was a number of years ago when I stumbled across it on one HBO or Cinemax randomly. I was surprised by it, quickly came to really love it and have basically been waiting ever so patiently since that time for it to be released on DVD. It'a taken a while, but the extras included in the DVD packaging were well worth the wait.
How's Your News? is a documentary about a group of people with a variety of mental and physical disabilities who travel across the country in a painted RV and, along the way, do man on the street interviews with unsuspecting subjects they come across. The group all met at a camp in Massachusetts, and the movie is basically a long form version of a project they'd do every summer for the camp that included campers going out into the surrounding area and interviewing people they came across there. Matt Stone and Trey Parker got a copy of one of those tapes and loved it so much they decided that they wanted to finance a trip across the country for the news team and their assistants and produce a documentary of their travels.
I think a lot of people hear about the film and then hear who produced it and usually work under the uncomfortable assumption that the movie is designed to make fun of people with mental and physical disabilities. It became clear to me after about two minutes of watching the movie that it's actually one of the most humanizing looks at people with disabilities that I've ever seen. Certainly if you hold it up against the Hollywood portrayals of the same kinds of disabilities, the stark contrast becomes almost unbearably embarrassing.
How's Your News? is comprised of a team of five reporters all of whom have distinct interviewing styles and bring their own unique perspectives to the process.
Susan Harrington is an extremely outgoing woman who can talk up a storm and is very professional behind the microphone. She's also fearless and will talk to basically anyone she can find. She loves to sing and is a major player in the numerous songs that the How's Your News? team puts together for every new city they visit. My favorite Susan moment in the movie is when, in a karaoke booth in Las Vegas, she belts out the most kick-ass version of Aretha Franklin's "Respect" I've ever heard.
Ronnie Simonson is a huge, loving, very animated guy who absolutely adores 70's TV icon Chad Everett and relates the majority of his questions (and the majority of all his other interactions with people) back to his vast knowledge of soap operas and a variety of beloved television actors he has an extensive mental catalogue of. Like Susan, he loves to sing and also does really humerous impressions of famous people. My favorite Ronnie moment comes when he interviews a construction worker and asks him what his hobbies are. When the man says that he likes to ride motorcycles, Ronnie asks him if he rides motorcycles to feel cool, like Fonzie.
Sean Costello is a young man with Down Syndrome who is absolutely forthright with everyone he speaks to. My favorite thing about his interview style is that he'll ask a question, get an answer, take a minute to think over what he's heard and if he's satisfied, the interview is over. In the extra section they've included one of the original camp videos that How's Your News? did and all of Sean's question lead directly back to whether or not the person he's speaking to likes fried chicken. It's really interesting to watch different people interact with Sean because Sean interacts with everyone he meets exactly the same way and it's wonderful.
Robert Bird, like Sean, has Down Syndrome but is considerably older and has never formed the capacity to speak comprehendible English. He definitely talks and there are times when a word or two will be made clear, but for the most part what he says sounds like total gibberish. He's aware of what's going on around him and is definitely as involved in interviewing people as all the other members on the team. It's just that nobody can understand what he's asking them about. It's not clear, but it seems likely that what he's saying means something specific to him, it's just that on the trip between what he wants to say and what's actually said, something gets lost. The fascinating thing about Robert's interviews is seeing how certain people respond to being spoken to but not understanding what's been said. Some will act as though they really do understand and will answer accordingly, while others will try to work with Robert to get him to repeat his questions and really try hard to understand, while still others will simply shrug their shoulders and walk away.
Larry Perry is extremely physically handicapped and has a very hard time expressing himself verbally. Occasionally he can get a word or two out, but it's clearly very difficult for him. There is, however, absolutely no mistaking when Larry is happy about something. Some of the more simple moments of the film belong to Larry and many of them are my personal favorites. For example, there's one scene where Larry is out of his wheelchair, rolling himself down a hill on a gorgeous summer day. His body is very hard to control, but while he's rolling, he seems perfectly at ease inside his own skin and thoroughly enjoying such a simple pleasure. When the team finally reaches the California coast, Larry is set up on the board walk of Venice Beach with a microphone and a sign that says "free interviews" and "My name is Larry". A number of people stop and say hello, interact with him and tell them about their lives. One woman and her boyfriend dance with him.
How's Your News? makes me laugh loudly every time I watch it. It also makes me cry a lot, but only from sheer joy. They're tears for the fact that these people, who are overlooked or ignored by most of society, are so clearly having more fun than most "normal" people do. They're not jaded and they're not afraid of anyone, so they're freed up to go out into the world, without making any apologies to anyone about who they are or what they're doing, and really just grab life in big handfuls. It's inspiring. But more than that, it's beautiful to watch.
I can't recommend this movie enough.
 "Live from New Haven, CT, this is Susan Harrington reporting live for How's Your News?"
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- Ronnie's AWESOME Chad Everett sweatshirt?
Is It Worth Staying Through End Credits?
The How's Your News? team is big on songs, so stay through the credits to hear a recording session with Sue and the rest of the gang of the How's Your News? theme song.
Unnecessary Background [some sources: The official How's Your News? website]
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This was an idea which began at Camp Jabberwocky [several] years ago. Each summer, at this camp for people with disabilities, we would meet for video classes and try to make fun tapes to share with our friends and the parents at the end of the year. These videos often featured segments during which the campers would venture into the local town and conduct interviews with unsuspecting passersby on the street. In 1995 we made a short documentary about the camp which included a few of these interviews. This video was copied and passed around from friend to friend until it reached the hands on South Park creators Matt Stone and Trey Parker. Stone and Parker enjoyed the video so much that they contacted us and said they would like to fund a project outside of the camp. A few of the counselors got together and came up with the idea for a news show. We bought a run-down van and created a short How's Your News? "pilot". This pilot played at a few underground festivals and attracted the attention of John Pierson, creator of the TV show "Split Screen", and general independent film legend. He and Parker and Stone got together to fund the feature length How's Your News?
Intermission! [some sources: www.howsyournews.com]
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Is this project exploitation?
We are glad you asked that, because our answer is "no". All of the people associated with How's Your News?, including the reporters and their families, are extremely proud of the work which has been put into this movie. The How's Your News? reporters may not look, act, or speak like traditional news reporters, and the news which they gather may not be traditional news, but we stand by it all the same. In fact, we feel that to deny these reporters the chance to express themselves freely, travel the country, and communicate with the people they meet would be a real shame. Mistakes, awkward moments, and humor are important parts of living with a disability. As counselors at Camp Jabberwocky we learned that hanging out with these people can be fun. We wanted to travel across the country with these five reporters because we thought it would be an enjoyable and interesting experience. And it is our hope that in the end this comes across in the movie.
Groovy Quotes
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Ronnie's mom: He loves everyone and he assumes they love him. Perhaps that's what the rest of us... It's our intellect that gets in the way.
Susan Harrington: I'm wicked excited. Let it be no secret that I've been ready for this trip since 2:00 yesterday when I was sitting at the reception desk and I'm like 'OH MY GOD! I CAN'T WAIT!!!!'
Hitchiker picked up by the How's Your News RV: I have a feeling this is gonna be one of the most interesting rides I've ever been on.
Ronnie saying his prayers: Bless mommy, bless Jake, bless Darryl... bless Kate Jackson, David Hasslehoff, Vanna White and Suzanne Summers...
DVD Review
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Well worth the wait. Extras include behind the scenes footage from various screenings and festivals for the film and concert footage from around the country including How's Your News? opening for Polyphonic Spree this past March during South By Southwest here in Austin. On top of that, there's also an extremely great interview from Sue and Sean with producers Trey Parker and Matt Stone at the South Park studios. But the best extra by far is the short film of Ronnie finally meeting and interviewing his "spiritual brother" Chad Everett. It's absolutely amazing. I dare you not to cry.
Soundtrack Review
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The How's Your News? team writes a new song for each city they visit and also record various and sundry other songs they cook up when the mood strikes. All of them are lots of fun to sing along to and can be purchased on CD only from the How's Your News? website.
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This review page was last updated on 11.7.04
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