THE TALLEST DWARF (2026, doc)

April 5, 2026

Greetings again from the darkness. Psychologists long ago concluded that ‘belonging’ is a fundamental human social need. Finding our ‘peeps’ … a group of similar folks to share life with … plays a significant role in our identity – who we are. Documentarian Julie Wyman turns her focus … and her camera … onto herself as she searches for her own place.

It’s a bit disturbing, and kind of heartbreaking, to watch as Julie interviews her parents. Claiming they thought she was “normal” as a kid, properly ruffles Julie’s feathers as she reminds them of the many times she brought up the issue when she was younger. Julie’s sister acknowledges school fights over Julie’s proportions, and then we see an analysis of da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man … right down to the optimal limb to torso to height percentages.

Dwarf culture becomes the story here as Julie meets with Little People of America. The most famous and successful dwarf actor, Billy Barty, was a co-founder of the organization in 1957. Mr. Barty passed away in 2000 at the age of 76, but the organization continues with participation from many. Julie seems to be testing the waters to determine if she will be accepted, as her proportions are considered ‘partial dwarfism’. What she finds is a group who collaborates with and protects each other.

The battles with medical research and big pharma reminded me of some of the same issues faced by the hearing-impaired community. Should attempts be made to ‘normalize’ or should the group be accepted in their natural state. Although I am not part of either community, it has always seemed to me that the individuals should decide on their own. There are plenty of hearing-impaired who choose hearing aids or Cochlear implants, and if growth hormones or other options are available for dwarfism, then these folks should be allowed to choose … free from backlash and judgment.

Julie Wyman’s film does a nice job addressing this, as well as her own situation. There are a few familiar faces you might recognize in Little People of America, including actors Mark Povinelli (NIGHTMARE ALLEY, 2021), Sofiya Cheyenne (“Loudermilk”), Matthew Jeffers (“New Amsterdam”), and Katrina Kemp (“Spider-Man”). There is also a quick shot of Danny Woodburn (Mickey from “Seinfeld”) at an event. The line that will surely stick with most viewers is the admission that dwarfism makes one “invisible, but always on display”.

Premiering on PBS Independent Lens on April 6, 2026

WATCH THE TRAILER

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Posted by David Ferguson

MIRROR MIRROR (2012)

April 6, 2012

 Greetings again from the darkness. Fairy Tales. The Brothers Grimm. Expectations for a delightful story and fascinating characters should not be doused. Blah is the best word I have for this version of the classic children’s story. The “updated” story is a mess, the characters are quite bland, and the few sets are limited in scope. On the bright side, the costumes are colorful and, for a change, disliking Julia Roberts will not place me in the minority … she is after all, the evil Queen.

It seems logical that a classic fairy tale movie should be either designed for kids, enhanced for adults, or a mixture of each (The Princess Bride comes to mind).  Despite being one of the most beloved stories of all time, this one appears to have been made for an audience not consisting of kids or adults.  I spent much of the movie distracted by Julia Roberts’ lips and Lily Collins eyebrows. Both are characters unto themselves. Julia Roberts should be the perfect evil Queen, but she seemed to put forth little effort with her lines … an odd mix of sarcasm for a kids’ movie. Lily Collins (daughter of Phil) is just bland. She has no screen presence at all and is swallowed up in her scenes with Roberts, Armie Hammer (the Prince) and the band of dwarves.

There are so many things I could comment on, but most would be negative, so I’ll just (mostly) leave it alone. Being a fan of director Tarsem Singh (The Fall), there were moments where his remarkable eye for colorful visuals provided hope, but the lack of quality story-telling was just too much to overcome. The evil Queen spa treatment just seemed to be a one-off idea that got stuck into the film … scorpion and bee stings, parrot poop, and grub worms in ears probably seemed comical on the page.  Not so much on the screen.  The story has always made a statement on the quest for eternal beauty/youth, but this queen just comes across as desperate.  It was nice to see Danny Woodburn (Mickey on “Seinfeld”) as one of the dwarves, and I thought Armie Hammer found the proper chord in his performance.  As a viewer, stick to the 1937 Disney version, or hold out hope for the much darker version coming out later this year, Snow White and the Huntsman (with Kristen Stewart).

SEE THIS MOVIE IF: you want to see how a creative director can turn a fascinating fairy tale into a bland ball at the palace.

SKIP THIS MOVIE IF: you have young kids … they probably won’t enjoy it, laugh much or even be frightened of the witch.

watch the trailer:

 

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Posted by David Ferguson