''Mangus!'' is a 2011

comedy film A comedy film is a category of film which emphasizes humor. These films are designed to make the audience laugh through amusement. Films in this style traditionally have a happy ending (black comedy being an exception). Comedy is one of the ol ...

written, produced, and directed by Ash Christian. The film stars Ryan Nelson Boggus,

Jennifer Coolidge Jennifer Audrey Coolidge (born August 28, 1961) is an American actress known for her roles in comedic film and television particularly in American Pie (series), ''American Pie'' film series (1999–2012), Legally Blonde (franchise), ''Legally Bl ...

Heather Matarazzo Heather Christina Marie Matarazzo (born November 10, 1982) is an American actress. Her breakthrough role was Dawn Wiener in the film ''Welcome to the Dollhouse'' (1995). She played Lilly in ''The Princess Diaries'' (2001) and '' The Princess Dia ...

(who also acts as producer),

Leslie Jordan Leslie Allen Jordan (April 29, 1955 – October 24, 2022) was an American actor, comedian, writer, and singer. His television roles include Beverley Leslie on ''Will & Grace'' (2001–2006 and 2017–2020), several characters on television in ...

, and

John Waters John Samuel Waters Jr. (born April 22, 1946) is an American filmmaker, writer, actor, and artist. He rose to fame in the early 1970s for his Cinema of Transgression, transgressive cult films, including ''Multiple Maniacs'' (1970), ''Pink Flamin ...

Plot

Mangus Spedgewick is a typical high schooler living with his war veteran father, Mangus Sr., and neglectful stepmother, Raquel (

Deborah Theaker Deborah Theaker (born April 6, 1964) is a Canadian actress. She is best known as Casey Edison on the Lucasfilm science fiction satire ''Maniac Mansion'' which ran from 1990 until 1993. Early life and education Theaker was born in Moose Jaw, Sas ...

), in a little town called River City, in Texas. It is a family tradition for the young male Spedgewicks to portray

Jesus Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

in the town production of ''Jesus Christ Spectacular'', and Mangus is very excited about the upcoming auditions. Mangus auditions with other boys, including a talented and

flamboyant Flamboyant (from ) is a form of late Gothic architecture that developed in Europe in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, from around 1375 to the mid-16th century. It is characterized by double curves forming flame-like shapes in the bar-tr ...

classmate, Farrell Williamson, who is the mayor's son. Mangus lands the role, but that night, when he goes out in a limo with his friends, Timmy and Kimmy, there is a terrible car accident. Timmy and Kimmy are cut in half and Mangus loses the use of his legs. Farrell's mother gathers signatures to get Mangus out of the play so that the role be offered to Farrell. The School District rules that Mangus cannot play Jesus. Play director Bruce (

) is distraught by the decision, but still must give Mangus the bad news. When Mangus Sr. returns to the war, Raquel sends Mangus to live with his mother, a psychic named Cookie (

), and his half-sister, Jessica Simpson, who live in a trailer with Cookie's boyfriend, Buddy. Mangus spends his time with his half-sister Jessica Simpson and with his mother's boyfriend Buddy, who is almost as young as Mangus. Jessica Simpson reveals to Mangus that she is a lesbian and meets Bobbie, a black woman who sells ice-cream from a truck. While children wait to buy ice-cream, Jessica and Bobbie have sex in the truck. Buddy takes Mangus to a strip club where, while getting a lap dance, Mangus hallucinates and meets

Jesus Christ Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...

(

), who encourages him to fight for the role. Mangus vows to re-obtain the role, even if it means taking out the competition, a flamboyant classmate, Farrell Williamson, who, while showing Mangus his routine, falls through the coffee table and is injured (his fate is not revealed until towards the end of the film). Mangus's father is injured in the war and returns home in a wheelchair. He decides to remarry Cookie. Mangus believes Farrell is dead. He decides to leave town and go to Hollywood to pursue his dream of becoming a singer and disabled dancer. He takes with him his half-sister Jessica Simpson. But accidentally they end up in

Hollywood, Florida Hollywood is a city in southern Broward County, Florida, United States, located between Fort Lauderdale and Miami. As of July 1, 2019, Hollywood had a population of 154,817. Founded in 1925, the city grew rapidly in the 1950s and 1960s, and is now ...

. There Mangus receives a telegram offering him the part of Jesus again, despite his disability. Although Mangus and Jessica are out of money, they find a Greyhound employee who takes pity on them and they manage to return home. When Mangus returns to school, Bruce tells him that since they didn't know he was coming back, they had offered the part to Harry. But Harry wants out of the role, and when Mangus asks him for the part, Harry gladly returns it to Mangus. During the show, Raquel and Buddy finally manage to hook up, but they accidentally stumble into the stage and Buddy is caught with Raquel with his pants down. For no apparent reason, the musical's opening number is sung by Santa. The rest of the cast is dressed mostly like hippies from ''

Jesus Christ Superstar ''Jesus Christ Superstar'' is a sung-through rock opera with music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and lyrics by Tim Rice. Loosely based on the Gospels' accounts of the Passion, the work interprets the psychology of Jesus and other characters, with ...

''. Near the end of musical, Mangus is attached to the cross in his wheelchair. After the play, Mangus's parents reconciled and the whole family go for ice cream.

Cast

* Ryan Nelson Boggus as Mangus Spedgewick *

as Cookie Richardson *

as Jessica Simpson *

as Bruce Jackson *

* Charles Solomon, Jr. as Mangus Spedgewick, Sr. *

as Raquel Spedgewick * Peter S. Williams as Buddy Richardson * John D. Montoya as Farrell Williamson * Leticia Magana as Patricia Williamson * Brittni Horton as Bobbi Jackson * Zander Scott as Timmy Jones * Laura Spencer as Kimmy Jones * Lynn Ambrose as Flossy * Rex Cumming as Randy Jenkins * Rodney Shed as Harry

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mangus! 2011 films 2011 comedy films 2010s coming-of-age comedy films American coming-of-age comedy films American LGBT-related films Films set in Texas Films shot in Texas American independent films Lesbian-related films 2011 independent films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films