We all had that friend in high school who wanted to become a big shot Hollywood director. He would invite all of us over every weekend to make a short movie, regardless of how horrible everyone’s acting was or how senseless the plot was. The indie “mockumentary,” “Pushin’ Up Daisies,” feels like a film that came from that
kid’s portfolio.
Nearly everything about the film is unconvincing, right down to the entire premise itself. The film follows aspiring filmmaker Darren (Sheehan O’Heron), who returns to his small Georgia hometown to make a documentary about the importance of flowers during significant stages of life. The centerpiece of Darren’s documentary is his older brother Rusty (Simon Sorrells), who delivers flowers for a living. Not long after Darren and his crew start shooting, the dead start to rise from their graves all over town, interrupting the filming process. Even though the shallow acting performances and cheap zombie makeup do nothing to bring this situation to life, the meaning behind it all is actually the film’s saving grace.
As the living dead become more and more of a nuisance, Darren has to struggle to leave them out of his documentary. He desperately attempts to pretend that nothing out of the ordinary is happening and continues following his brother around town to deliver flowers to those mourning the dead for the second time. He starts to get so wrapped up in ignoring reality and making his movie exactly how he envisioned it that things start to spiral out of control. This presents the film’s idea that movies are too wrapped up in manipulating the reality that is presented to the viewer. Audiences have a preconceived notion of what a film will be about when they enter the theater and nothing outside of that genre’s boundaries is allowed to be on screen.
This premise even bleeds into a personal conflict between Darren and Rusty over their parents. Just as Darren cannot accept that zombies have overrun the town, he refuses to accept the truth behind his parents’ disappearance years ago. This ultimately leads to a touching conclusion that puts the final nail in the coffin for Darren’s character arc in the film.
It is clear that writer/director Patrick Franklin is destined to make meaningful films that commentate on the state of the film industry. The fascinating premise behind “Pushin’ Up Daisies” is only held back by its lack of a budget. The film features some of the most unconvincing acting I have ever seen in a full-length film. I understand that the film is attempting to present itself as a homemade documentary, but the cheap video quality and lack of microphones on the actors completely pulled me out of any immersion I might have had. It is best to view this film purely for what it is saying about film genres and life choices rather than as immersive entertainment. “Pushin’ Up Daisies” is available now through Amazon on DVD and Instant.
