There have been times when working that I wish I could have a clone to help me out. With family, my day job, and the website, I can not be in multiple places at once. When Pasqual Gutierrez finds out he has landed a big gig during the same month his first baby will be born, he hatches a crazy idea. Pasqual auditions men to take his place while he can be with his wife and watch their child be born. This is the premise for Serious People, written and directed by Gutierrez.
This premise is nothing new in cinema. We have seen this story before, and it either runs smoothly or goes haywire. What separates Serious People from other films is that it is somewhat based on the life of Pasqual Gutierrez, which gives the movie a more personal feel. The film is shot in a way that sometimes resembles scripted moments, but also improvised situations.
After auditioning multiple men to be his stand-in, Pasqual hires Miguel (Miguel Huerta) to be his doppelgänger. At first, Miguel is focused and trying to get into Pasqual’s mindset, but slowly his inexperience and unprofessionalism start to show. This begins to cause trouble for Pasqual and his partner, RJ (Raul Sanchez), which leads to a series of hilarious scenes that highlight Huerta’s performance.
On his part, Pasqual sees nothing wrong. He is being pulled in multiple directions, so that he only sees the outcome of his scheme. He feels that he will be able to control the situation even though he witnesses it falling apart right before his eyes. I will not say what happens during the big gig, but it is both hilarious and tragic. Serious People is a great look at the struggles of creatives who want to follow their dream while struggling to keep their feet on the ground.
Final Thoughts: Serious People is a humorous exploration of the desire to be in two places at once and the trouble that may arise from it. Pasqual Gutierrez’s film is smart, funny, and a cautionary tale of wanting it all. Miguel Huerta steals a lot of the scenes he is in with his rawness and carefree attitude. The humor is dry at times, but the movie is fresh and different.
Violence: Although the film does not depict violence, there is a scene of one of the characters taking a swing at a key character during the movie’s climax.
Kid-Friendly: The theme of wanting it all is a good one for young kids to see and to consider whether that is what they really want. There is cursing throughout the movie.
Successful Music Video director Pasqual Gutierrez is faced with a dilemma on the due date of his firstborn child: a job offer for his biggest video yet. Frustrated with his poor work/life balance, Gutierrez casts a doppelgänger named Miguel to take over his work duties in his director duo Cliqua as he prepares to take an extended paternity leave. But as Pasqual starts to spend more time with Miguel to teach him how to step into this new role, Pasqual’s relationship and his work suffer, ending with a disastrous music video shoot. SERIOUS PEOPLE explores what it means to be a “director,” a parent, and the replaceability of people in clout-heavy Los Angeles.