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| Images courtesy of MVD Visual |
The many facets of the Star Wars fandom, from those
who enjoy the movies and the lore to those who go as far as cosplaying
characters from the Rebel Alliance and Imperial Forces. While numerous think pieces have been written
about the global Star Wars following and the nature of the fandom itself
usually ruminating on recent toxicities within it, in the case of documentary filmmakers
Michael Thomas Determan and Tom Rosy’s from the ground up labor of love Behind
the Bucket: A Garrison Story, audiences used to only hearing about the
so-called ‘rabid fanbase’ surrounding Star Wars are in for a really
sweet and tender surprise. Focused on
the 501st Legion, a group of costume builders centered around
playing stormtroopers and Darth Vader who go to Children’s hospitals and
fundraisers trying to give those who are ill or dying can take a little mental
breather from their daily ordeals for a little while. Put simply, they don’t refer to themselves as
cosplayers but rather “cause players”.
Featuring interviews with Ray Park who played Darth Maul and
Greg Grunberg who played ‘Snap’ Wexley while traversing throughout the nation
at events driven by passionate fans wanting to do more than simply play dress
up as their favorite characters, Behind the Bucket: A Garrison Story is
a startlingly heartfelt and genuinely kind film which speaks to a side of the Star
Wars fandom you’d never know existed without meeting those involved. For much of the film, it does just that,
getting up close and personal with many ordinary citizens some of whom range
from policemen to firefighters as they tell their stories about how they became
involved in Star Wars cosplaying as a charitable event. While focusing on conventions where Star
Wars fans meet including one where a young man proposes to his fiancée at
the convention itself, mostly this is a humbling human story about those who
are striving to give suffering children a temporary reprieve from their
struggle.
Shot by co-director Michael Thomas Determan, the film is
less interested in Star Wars than it is in testimonials from those who
have done this routine of getting up at 3am to dress up, drive to a destination
and put on the show for the kids who have gone through everything from cancers
to burn victims to children with congenital birth defects. Seeing the uphill battle they put themselves
through to create a healthy distraction for kids gives one a whole newfound
respect for what the 501st Legion does and their commitment to their
art for children is kind of inspiring.
More than just another portrait of super fandom over cherished
science-fiction franchises, it is something of a rallying cry to join in with
these fans and as a whole it manages to make even the most jaded of Star
Wars fans rethink their positions on it.
While some of the stories shared are indeed heartbreaking,
what the 501st Legion and its group of cosplayers represent is something
oddly hopeful considering they’re playing Imperial forces. By the end of it, you don’t look at Star
Wars as purely adolescent escapism channeling Old Hollywood serials of the
past but as something that can enrich the community and bring some light to
other people’s darkness. The efforts are
noble and the humility is stunning and by the end of it you’ll be hard pressed
to not shed a tear over it. Yeah Behind
the Bucket: A Garrison Story can be something of a tearjerker but think of
it as a good cry.
--Andrew Kotwicki
