Prescott eNews

“We’ll do whatever it takes to get to the Nationals. We’re in it to win it.”
“This is similar to American Idol. You never know where the stars are.”
“It’s the warm and fuzzy that makes you feel good about humanity.”
“It’s one of those things he can tell his grandchildren about.”
“We’re going on natural talent.”
“Put your focus on. Put on your game face.”

All these quotes come from an emotional roller coaster of a documentary, taking the audience through regional competitions, state competitions, cheering fans and cumulates in a two day competition in glamorous Las Vegas.

What are these people, male and female, ages 50 through adolescents competing for? What prize is worth all the hard work and hours of practice? And what event creates so much excitement that it garners fans and cheering sections?

Best grocery bagger in the United States.

I’m not kidding.

And I’m also not kidding when I say this is one of the most enjoyable documentaries I have seen. Ever. And I’ve seen a lot of them. I have never laughed so hard at any film; even one that purports to be a comedy, as I did while watching “Paper or Plastic?” which screened this week at the Sedona International Film Festival (SIFF). http://www.sedonafilmfestival.com/

And the most wonderful thing about it? You are not laughing “at” these wonderful, quirky, sweet, kind bagging competitors. You fall in love with them, their attitudes of hard work, devotion to the task ahead of them, and their single-minded focus. The balance the filmmakers achieved in that area is really remarkable.

Each year for decades the National Grocer’s Association has a competition for Best Bagger. The Best Bagger wins $2,000 and the glory that goes with the title. The filmmakers followed eight grocery baggers from across the United States getting prepared for their regional competitions. Remarkably, four of the people they just happed to pick to film ended up at the national competition.

The film is truly a slice of American life with the Iowa farm boy whose friends say he “talks about things none of us understand,” to the charming Jacob who takes us on a tour of his pink room, (it used to belong to his sister) with the computer as the center of his universe, a small college sized refrigerator so he doesn’t have to stray too far from the computer, and the clothes hanging out of his drawers….. Well, you just want to hug him.

The idea came from Oren Jacob, who is a Technical Director at Pixar. He was sitting around with his friends and somehow they started talking about competitions and one of the friends mentioned that he’d been in a grocery bagging competition. From there the idea was born. He told his wife, Justine Jacob about the idea, which she took to the Sundance Producer’s Conference where she won the best pitch award. She is the co-director and producer of the film.

Alex D. da Silva is the co-director and cinematographer for the film. He did a wonderful job behind the camera capturing the excitement of the competition, with cameras flashing; fans kept at bay and interviewed a quintessential American couple who had come to Vegas specifically for the competition. When they told the filmmakers, “We’ve been waiting months” for the Best Bagger Competition, well, that was a special moment for the audience. My favorite shot of the film was captured when one of the competitors, a first generation American putting himself through college, is at a huge mall in Las Vegas. The huge curved ceiling above him turns into a fireworks show and the colorful explosions are clearly captured in the young man’s glasses. Perfect.

Marco D’Ambrosio did the music for the film, and he did an excellent job of balancing the fun of the competition without belittling it or making fun of the contestants in any way. He was at the SIFF to speak to the audience after the screening. He said the thought the film was, “Fun and funny, but didn’t make fun of people. It was a portrait of America.” He also said it was about being, “the best at what you do. A lesson for all of us.”

At the end of the documentary even the competitors who lose, lose graciously. You’ve even gotta love the 50 year old competitor who never smiles yet manages to bring his own “harem” (young, cute female co-workers; and it is ALL innocent) with him to Vegas and have a good time. They are his cheering section. And he leaves them at the hotel the day before the competition to go golfing with his buddy.

This is one of those magical documentaries that captures a cast of characters on a real life adventure. A screenwriter couldn’t have come up with the human beings documented here, nor the fun, excitement and Americana that is “Paper or Plastic?”

As a side note this years Best Bagger is from Arizona, a Fry’s Courtesy Clerk from Tucson, Francisco Palacios.