Mangus!
“A white-trash GLEE.” — Movie City News
This super fun, dark comedy from writer-director Ash Christian (Fat Girls), revolves around high school senior Mangus Spedgewick (Ryan Boggus) who hopes to fulfill his family’s tradition of playing Jesus in the local annual production of “Jesus Christ Spectacular.” This fresh queer cult hit co-stars Jennifer Coolidge as his trailer trash mother and out lesbian actress Heather Matarazzo as his lesbian half-sister; plus terrific cameos from John Waters and Leslie Jordan!
Mangus Spedgewick is handicapped. Make that “handicapable.” He lost his legs in a tragic drunk driving accident the night of his high school prom. Now with a father who is going to fight the war in Iraq, and a stepmother who simply can’t handle the “upkeep” of the young crippled, Mangus goes to live with his birth mother, Cookie and stepfather (who is only a few years older than him) and his lesbian half sister in a secluded trailer park in the small town of Rivercity, Texas.
While there, he auditions for the role of Jesus in their community theater production of Jesus Christ Spectacular (the cheap offspring of Jesus Christ Superstar)…but the town leaders don’t want a crippled Jesus. Mangus decides to take on their discriminatory casting and fights their decision. Will he get to be their towns first crippled Jesus? Not without a hard fight, a road trip and breaking the law a few times along the way.
STARS:
Jennifer Coolidge (American Pie, Legally Blonde, Best in Show), Heather Matarazzo (Welcome to the Dollhouse), cult figures John Waters and Leslie Jordan (The Help, Sordid Lives) plus newcomer Ryan Boggus as Mangus.
Awards & Press Quotes
- “Funny . . . Mangus! ups the bad-taste stakes further, recalling the outrageous trailer-trash scenarios of seminal ’70s works by John Waters.” – Variety
- “Exudes the quirky sentimentality of a John Waters picture with thevisual edge of early Almodóvar.” – Indiewire
- “Dark comedy in the tradition of Christian’s cinematic idols John Waters and Todd Solondz. . . both hilarious and poignant because its filmmaker is unafraid to hold anything back.” – San Francisco Bay Guardian
- “One of the funniest films to be submitted to Austin Film Festival this year. This dark comedic, off kilter, trailer trash bonanza will be a comedy cult classic in line with Sordid Lives and Napoleon Dynamite!” – Austin Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
- “Great supporting cast that includes Leslie Jordan, Jennifer Coolidge and Heather Matarazzo.” – Movie Dearest
- “Mangus! represents a kinder, gentler trailer trash comedy, easy-going and funny, it lacks the cynicism of 21st Century shock-comedies. It’s almost revolutionary.” – DVD Talk
