Pssst fellow CIFFaholics, I have a confession to make. I have to admit right off the bat, that I never intended to see Winnebago Man. In fact, up until last night I hadn't even seen the compilation of outtakes that became an overnight viral video sensation that has maintained it's appeal for two decades. You see, I have a yearly ritual that before the film festival kicks off I draw up a schedule for myself. The goal is to maximize the amount of films I see and keep track of which theater I'm commuting to at what time. Well, on a whim last night I decided to take a look at what was playing after the indie flick Made in China and noticed the title "Winnebago Man." To make a long story short, after a quick scan of the film synopsis and re-watching the viral video on YouTube 5 or 6 times, I was hooked. (For those of you who like me were uneducated on the Winnebago Man - please, go look up the video immediately. Any description I provide here of the video starring Jack Rebney aka the World's Angriest RV Salesman aka the Winnebago Man - simply won't do it justice.)
The idea for Winnebago Man was born a few years ago when filmmaker Ben Steinbauer decided that he wanted to learn more about the short-tempered and colorful star of one the world's most-watched viral videos. After hiring a private investigator, Steinbauer learned that Jack Rebney was now living on top of a mountain in northern California working as a caretaker at a remote fishing resort. Now more intrigued than ever, Ben set off to California to learn more about the story behind the Winnebago Man and to learn how Rebney felt about his established notoriety and growing fan base. What ensued was a hilarious yet thought-provoking adventure for both the documentary crew and Rebney himself.
I found myself exceptionally lucky to be in the audience at tonight's screening for as the house lights went up, we were informed that the filmmaker Ben and producer Malcolm had come for an impromptu Q&A. To add to the experience further, Ben even called Jack Rebney (they have remained close friends since filming wrapped) and had him on speakerphone for the majority of the session. I was delighted to witness firsthand Jack's colorful bluntness and uncanny way with words. His response to every question asked quickly turned into a long winded commentary on topics ranging from politics to the internet. Despite the rambling nature of Jack's answers, not a peep was uttered by a single member of the audience while he spoke. Never before have I seen someone be given such undivided attention when they weren't even standing in the room to witness it. I was also fortunate enough to speak with Ben Steinbauer some more after the session carried on for so long we were booted out of the theater to make way for the next screening.
Overall, I found Winnebago Man to be a breath of fresh air for the documentary genre which is often engulfed in heavy subject matter. If you ever get the chance, please do me a kindness (I had to find a family friendly Jack Rebney quote to include!) and see this film.
