Beaver Trilogy 2001

It all began with Trent Harris' videotaping an earnest, small-town dreamer from Beaver, Utah, giving a breathtaking monologue. Motivated by his newfound "friend," the man staged a talent show and performed in drag as Olivia Newton-John, which Harris had the genius to tape. This episode inspired the next segment, which has a young Sean Penn reenacting the same scenario. Utilizing Penn's astonishing ability, Harris adds to the story, commenting on the motivations and fate of the sweet outsider as well his own function as objective documentarian. In the final piece, Crispin Glover portrays the same character. The names and places have changed, but the evocative undertones remain.