Danielson: A Family Movie

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07/04/2011 A wonderfully inspiring film about music, individualism, artistic integrity and honoring the Creator. Oh, and Sufjan Stevens is in it. And Daniel Johnston makes an appearance. :) See more 06/20/2011 What a genius! In so many ways what I aspire to in my own pursuit of art and Christian spirituality. This fantastic documentary was such an inspiration! See more 10/17/2010 One of the truly inspiring artists. Christian or not. Also goes into depths on Sufjan that I've never seen before. See more 07/14/2009 To be honest, Daniel Smith doesn't interest me that much. But Sufjan does!! See more 06/08/2009 Danielson: A Family Movie is an unexpectedly fascinating documentary about The Danielson Famile, a faith-based indie rock group from Clarksboro, New Jersey. Daniel Smith is the charismatic frontman and muse of the band, which is comprised of an ever-changing mixture of his siblings and friends. Daniel would no doubt balk at the flattering description of himself. In his eyes, he's simply a cipher for God's creativity. He describes himself as the kid helping his Dad change a flat tire; he doesn't really get to change the flat, but he feels like he's involved anyway. Funny thing is...I believe him. He's being completely sincere. For me, this is the kicker. I don't have a whole lot of love for Christian Rock. I've found the label applies primarily to disingenuous groups with mediocre talent who exploit a built-in fanbase. Oddly, I think Daniel Smith would agree. He refuses to be pigeonholed so easily. His music has an organic, unpolished brightness about it. It's mildly punky, a little folksy, and most assuredly unique. I'm reminded of Modest Mouse, Daniel Johnston, and The B-52's. The sound grows on you like a warm rash. The band sports nurses costumes, meant to signify the healing power of Christ, that lends them a wacky, unsettling uniformity. Wacky because, like The B-52's with their bouffant hair-do's, the look is intentionally kitschy. Unsettling because I can't help but think of fascism and Christianity. But now I'm projecting. When I hear Daniel Smith speak, I think of Marilyn Manson. I mean this as a compliment. Marilyn Manson tries so hard aesthetically to distance himself from the main-stream that it comes as a shock when you hear him in an interview. He's soft-spoken, gracious, intelligent, poised, and objective. Daniel Smith carries himself with the same mien. He wins you over with his lack of pretension. In short, I'm a fan. I never thought I'd hear myself say it, but there it is. Sometimes I just gotta shut up and listen to the music. See more 03/22/2009 I'm going to say this up-front: I never realized how adorable Sufjan Stevens was until seeing this movie. But going into the movie only for Stevens, I was very surprised by how much I liked it. It's great to see a band that's so genuine, and to see them become successful on top of that! The Danielson Famile are fantastic people, and I've definitely become a fan of their work after seeing this movie. Hopefully, I'll catch them (or at least Danielson) in concert sometime soon. :) See more Read all reviews

Danielson: A Family Movie

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