''The Custom Mary'' is a 2011 American drama film written and directed by

Matt Dunnerstick Matt may refer to: *Matt (name), people with the given name ''Matt'' or Matthew, meaning "gift from God", or the surname Matt *In British English, of a surface: having a non-glossy finish, see gloss (material appearance) *Matt, Switzerland, a mu ...

. Set in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

, the film tells the story of young Latina in East Los Angeles, who meets an African-American Lowrider, and struggles to reconcile her faith and blossoming love affair while becoming dangerously involved in a religious attempt to clone Jesus.

Plot

Searching for purpose and meaning in the world, a young Latina in East Los Angeles becomes dangerously involved with a storefront church where a young minister enthralls her. At the same time, she meets Joe, a self-empowered African-American lowrider mechanic. Mary, struggling to reconcile her faith and her blossoming love affair with Joe, is pulled into a group from the church who believes they can clone Jesus, with Mary's help. Mary becomes pregnant, and as the day of birth approaches, both Joe and the preachers fight for her attention. Battling real and imagined truths, Mary begins a secret journey to the desert, seeking answers in a surprising and surreal way. The Custom Mary is a combination of a classic, indie love story and an exploration of faith and fanaticism, set amidst the gritty urban world of lowrider culture.

Notables

The film features one of the last performances of the late

Bill McKinney William Denison McKinney (September 12, 1931 – December 1, 2011) was an American character actor. He played the sadistic mountain man in John Boorman's 1972 film ''Deliverance'' and appeared in seven Clint Eastwood films, most notably as Capt ...

. Music by the Mexican indie band, Porter, appears throughout the film.

Exhibition and responses

The film was first shown at the 2011

New York International Latino Film Festival The New York International Latino Film Festival is a major Hispanic film festival located in New York City. The festival features over sixty films, shorts, and documentaries over the course of six days, along with other events focused on Latino cult ...

and also at the 2012

San Diego Black Film Festival The San Diego Black Film Festival is one of the largest black film festivals in the United States. It was founded in 2002 as the Noir Film Festival and takes place annually in San Diego County, California, to recognize African American movies and p ...

, where it simultaneously won Best Cutting Edge film and Best Religious Topic Film, in addition to being nominated for Best Director, Best Feature, and Best Overall Film, It went on to play through the indie film circuit, particularly at Latino and Black film festivals, winning 8 awards and 4 nominations in the process. In 2013, it was distributed in the US by GoDigital.

Cast

Alicia Sixtos Alicia Marie Sixtos is an American actress. Sixtos is best known for her role as Maya Martinez in the Hulu series ''East Los High'' and her recurring role as Carmen Cruz in the ABC Family's series '' The Fosters''. Early years Sixtos was born an ...

— Mary * James Jolly — Joe * Travis Hammer — Paul Jr. * Henry LeBlanc — Paul Sr. * Spencer Scott — Jesus (voice) *

Dave Vescio David Allen Vescio (born June 24, 1970) is an American actor and former soldier and photojournalist best known for his villainous roles in film and television. Such as his role in the films '' Hick'', '' Lost Soul'', '' House of Flesh Mannequin ...

— Pat * Graciela Schrieber — Law of the Lowriders * Hale — Choir Mary *

- The Silent Boss *

Eileen Dietz Eileen Dietz is an American actress who is best known for her appearances in many horror films such as the face of the demon in ''The Exorcist'' and for her portrayal of characters on the soap operas ''Guiding Light'' and ''General Hospital''. ...

— Mother

Cameos

Richard Metzger Richard Metzger (born July 28, 1965) is a television host and author. He was the host of the TV show ''Disinformation'' (United Kingdom Channel 4, 2000–01), The Disinformation Company and its website, Disinfo.com. He is currently the host of the ...

, former television host of the TV series

Disinformation Disinformation is false information deliberately spread to deceive people. It is sometimes confused with misinformation, which is false information but is not deliberate. The English word ''disinformation'' comes from the application of the L ...

& current host of the online blog, Dangerous Minds, appears as a TV Reporter. *

Janina Gavankar Janina Zione Gavankar (; born November 29, 1980) is an American actress and musician. She is trained as a pianist, vocalist, orchestral percussionist and majored in theatre at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her roles include Shiva on ''The ...

, of The L Word and True Blood notoriety, appears as Ms. Rime.

Review

* On TheEspresso.com: "The Custom Mary is a welcome expanding of vision and a modern parable worthy of your time."

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Custom Mary, The 2010s Spanish-language films 2011 films American drama films 2010s English-language films 2010s American films