KENNY

KENNY
Written and Directed by Clayton Jacobson

So I just got back from the South By Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas, and if there was one overriding theme that emerged from the well-selected array of documentaries and narrative films, it was that the United States government has failed us on every account of responsibility, be it from the war to the short-changing of interstate truckers. Given the state of the nation, i found it hard to disagree.

But neatly nudged into this well-informed glut of sociopolitical doom was a little-known Australian film called KENNY, a mockumentary with a pure heart of gold and a soul to boot. KENNY is the eponymous travails of a 35-year old Australian lug who calls himself a plumber, but what he really partakes in is the installation, maintenance and hauling of commercial Port-O-Potty units at large events and festivals. Kenny has seen (and smelled) it all, and his knowledge of his trade is stunning- from the chemical composition of scat to the psychological persona of individual clientèle. So good is Kenny that his company sends him to the holy grail the of Port-O-Potty industry: the annual "Pumper and Cleaner" Convention in Nashville, Tennessee.

Kenny is a working man's working man- no frills, hard working, and a compassionate father to his son with whom he shares custody with his ex-wife. He develops a particularly keen world view and philosophical outlook on human behaviour through the prism of waste, and his understanding of man leads him to be an altruistic leader for others in need. Along his travels, Kenny comes across people in need of guidance and companionship, and he is more than willing to oblige and accommodate. He is what we could confidently call a decent man, a humble man, a man whose care for his profession readily allows us to take daily conveniences for granted. Kenny is the man who indeed cleans up after us, and we never bothered to thank him or even acknowledge that he exists.

There is a touching and redeeming quality about this picture, as we see a man doing what he loves, even if we may scoff at it for being a particularly nasty occupation. Kenny helps those around him to the best of his knowledge, and when he runs out of knowledge he is a man who shows humility and simply asks for people to explain things to him. He has troubles like any other man- a sour relationship with his ex, a troubled and fractured family life, and the inability to balance any semblance of a personal life from his professional life. But amidst all of these things, Kenny still manages to take life as it comes, and he has the ability to get a good laugh out of his situation.

And we laugh along with him, and never at him. This is the true beauty of a film like KENNY, as it never demeans or judges its subjects. We see people as they really are- flawed, scared, and many times looking for that all encompassing band-aid to patch up our sorrows. There is a particular sequence that embodies the nonjudgmental approach of the film. The scene takes place at a massive horse racing event where the ultra-wealthy patrons of the race are juxtaposed to the people working behind the scenes. The bourgeoisie women turn their nose at Kenny as he brings his son to work, criticizing his parenting skills for bringing a child to such a filthy environment (the Port-O-Potty block at the race track). Later in the evening as Kenny and his son clean and pack up the toilet units, Kenny sees the same women, drunk on wine and champagne, vomiting and urinating in public. In any other instance a man would use the opportunity to give it back to the ladies, but Kenny takes the higher road. He has bigger fish to fry, which is getting his job done and getting his kid home.

If I didn't know this was a mockumentary, I would have instantly thought Kenny was a real man, in a real job, with real friends. Such is the skill of the lead performance by Shane Jacobson, who completely lives in his role. Kenny speaks with a thick, lispy Australian brogue and uses spot-on vernacular ('I'm busier than a one-armed brick layer in Baghdad"), and his body language paints a complete portrait of a kind man struggling with the naive safety and comfort of his own little world. To see Kenny come to America and see the country through his eyes is sheer wonderment, like watching a kid entering an endless amusement park for the very first time.

KENNY was one of the best films I saw at the SXSW Film Festival, and one of the better comedies I've seen in a long while. The film has already released in Australia, has won just about every prestigious award in its industry, and has made Kenny something of a folk hero in the Australian conscious. I wonder if and when this film would get a proper release in North America- one can only hope that it will be presented in a fair light, and avoid the pitfall of having some major studio remake it for an American audience. This would be a tragedy because while KENNY deals with a superficially stupid subject (poop), it is a very smart film with a very big heart. Kenny is a guy we can all relate to and in many instances is a guy we'd like to be: dedicated, kind, curious, and always carrying hope in his heart.

The film is available on Australian DVD, seek it out if you have a multisystem player.