Winnebago Man

The subject of this documentary, Jack Rebney, is so far over the filmmakers head, it hurts. What could have become a compelling story about the stunning fact that an intellectual, free thinking journalist in this day and age comes to fame by everything he hates, an interet meme, ended up trying to be a mere "home story". Because Rebney is so amazing it does get quite emotional in the end though, mind.

"When you hurt yourself you don't say 'Jiminy Crickets'."

Apparently the only way it's appropriate to inject yourself into a documentary is if your last name is Herzog. Those complaining that Ben forced Jack to do this or didn't allow him to do that are missing the point. This was never intended to be doc just about Jack. I mean in the end what more do we really want to know about him? Why would I give a shit about his political opinions? To exploit him further? I'd rather see that he is a hilarious and relatable human being and Ben did just that.

A very enjoyable documentary, that strikes a nice balance between comedy and human drama. Rebney was a viral sensation before the internet was even established, & I was only vaguely aware of his video. While Steinbauer questions whether he's making a mountain of a mole-hill, Rebney could be any number of YouTube "celebrities". We come to know him well enough that watching him finally make peace with his unwanted fame is very emotionally rewarding. Makes a fine double-bill with Best Worst Movie.

Guy tracks down bloke who's sworn in a few outtakes, bloke turns out to be normal old codger with bit of a sharp tongue. What Steinbauer was hoping to discover here God only knows, but it certainly isn't interesting or entertaining enough to make a full documentary on. Most amusing is how the maker ends up coming across as by far the biggest plank in the picture, his perma-grin and incessant questions irritating what seems to be a nice enough old timer who just wants to keep himself to himself.

Steinbauer tracks down, with great difficulty, one Jack Rebney, the YouTube icon branded "The Angriest Man in the World" for his profanity-filled outtakes from a Winnebago promo film in 1989, re-run here in very poor video. After almost twenty years, the man hasn't mellowed: "I'm very old, I'm very crotchety, I'm pissed off" -- particularly pissed off at Dick Cheney. Quite a character, but a marginal character of whom the filmmaker tries too hard to make too much.

Documentaries are tricky. Filmmakers have to stay focused and chronicle an event happening before them. Or they have to retell a historical event in a compelling way. Those constraints are why this film is so funny, sweet, and well made. Like many viral stars, Jack doesn't want to participate in his newfound fame. And he also doesn't want to talk about the worst day of his life. Yet he still comes across as a charming guy who provides a great example on how to age gracefully. Highly recommended.

Disappointingly, not a documentary about the human version of Reggie Watts' "Fuck Shit Stack".

What happens when a complicated and pretty interesting old man meets a simple and basically uninteresting interviewer. The raw footage is really compelling, but every time Steinbauer opens his mouth and tries to trick this man into dancing on command it's pretty gross.

So much fun.

I appreciate the director was in a pickle when he finally found the true, uncooperative and intimidating Jack Rebney. But I can't help but feel he got in the way of his own documentary by sticking to his script instead of embracing the goldmine he had found. That said, Rebney is a colorful enough character to keep you interested and - by Buda! - does he have a way with words.

If you've ever wanted to see a textbook case of participatory documentary gone off the deep end, you can always come here to witness an annoying director pester an old lonely man into coming out of his shell for no reason other than the fact that he wouldn't have a movie without him. So little is gleaned from the subject's experience, and the director speaks so condescendingly to him as though he's entitled to use him as a prop for his aimless work that almost completely lacks a point.

Hilarious anger.

Some half-hearted attempts are made to get Rebney to speak about his childhood or his ideas about current affairs, but in the end everything seems to boil down to his viral video celebrity. By the end, are we supposed to feel satisfied that Rebney has come to terms with his YouTube legacy? Because it made me kind of depressed. Ultimately, I didn't learn much about Rebney as a person, nor about the phenomenon of unsoliticed internet celebrity. I just learned that Steinbauer is a bit of a douche.

What irritates me most about 'Winnebago Man' is that it doesn't want to be about Jack Rebney. Sure, he's the title character and the so-called purpose of the film, but count how many times your hear director Ben Steinbauer say "I" in this film. Every time you have a moment about Jack, it becomes about how it affects Ben. When Jack wants to turn the tables and tells his story, as political and unnecessary as it may be, Ben forces the confused old Jack back into telling his story. Deplorable.

refreshingly real

"The film ends with a semi-touching reaffirmation that everybody's in showbiz." - Bill Weber

Too much artless narration about the difficulty of finding Jack Rebney and then how the real Jack Rebney contradicted the director's preconceived notions of Jack Rebney. Which is disappointing as, when Steinbauer steps out of the way, Winnebago Man says some pretty poignant stuff about the impossibility of controlling your own legacy.

Goddamn Son of a BITCH!

"Don't laugh TOO hard at those YouTube 'fools.' That's you and me, don't forget."

Beginning is great. Then it starts to drag on.

Watched this a year or two ago and forgot to rate it. The titular character is fascinating enough to where the movie itself being somewhat barebones becomes okay.

surprisingly deep/reflective of the "human condition" - really humanized the winnebago man ... though it felt too staged at times and a bit bland.

This was amateurish and dragged along for far too long, but it had a few nice little touching moments towards the end. Not a total waste of time but nothing spectacular either.

A very captivating emotional struggle with Jack. The ending is very rewarding, though I will admit, a lot of the directors interjections seemed aimless. Once everyone stepped back, or allowed Jack to be with his friend, or with his audience, that's when this film really worked its best, mainly because Jack wasn't being pointed anywhere specific.

I don't know, it's sort of interesting but ultimately this is not a subject worthy of a feature-length documentary.

Starts promising quickly becomes tedious.

Skirted the underlying issues to be more about who this guy was. Not a horrible choice, but cut most potential before it started.