AFF Review: Herpes Boy

Herpes Boy won the Austin Film Festival Audience Award in the Comedy Vanguard category, which should come as no surprise to anyone fortunate enough to catch either of the sold-out AFF screenings. The  filmmakers and stars -- including the charming Beth Grant who also co-produced the film -- chose to stand during both screenings so that more festival attendees could see their film. With such an endearing and supportive force, it's no wonder that heart and passion transfers to the screen in this funny and poignant film.

Herpes Boy was directed by Nathaniel Atcheson and is based on the Herpes Boy YouTube web series created by Byron Lane in 2007. In the screen adaptation Byron wrote, he plays the lead character Rudolph Murray, who hates his life and is a bit of a hypochondriac. He has a large purple birthmark on his upper lip and everyday he finds someone staring, pointing, or calling him names—like "Herpes Boy."

Rudolph makes videos for the Internet in which he rants about his quirky life and zany family, including his New Age mother played by Beth Grant (No Country For Old Men, Little Miss Sunshine, Donnie Darko), emotionally distant father played by Michael Chieffo (L.A. Confidential), and grumpy grandmother (Julianna McCarthy). When his "actress-slash-model-slash-dancer" cousin Christeee -- yes, with three e's -- played by Ahna O’Reilly (Forgetting Sarah Marshall) re-edits his videos, it attracts a huge new audience. Rudolph becomes an unwilling cyber-celebrity at the worst possible time in his life.

Before I saw Herpes Boy, I was mildly concerned about the political correctness of a film that was possibly based on ridiculing a person with a physical abnormality. My concerns were quickly dispelled, as the film focuses more on the challenges faced by the central character, which were not just about his physical appearance. I agree with Jette's sentiment, which she referenced in her Cinematical AFF 2009: The Wrap-up: "Herpes Boy reminded me of Napoleon Dynamite, but actually funny and not annoying." Whereas I felt I wasn't cool enough to "get" Napoleon Dynamite, Herpes Boy connects more with the audience -- as much as you may want to laugh at Rudolph's idiosyncrasies, there are a lot of truths in his observations.

However, the highlight of self-discovery comes not from Rudolph, but his often abrasive co-worker and friend, Rochelle, played by the talented Octavia Spencer (Seven Pounds, Ugly Betty). Her wonderful and funny portrayal adds to the roster of great performances of the ensemble cast, all of which are memorable in their own way. Herpes Boy is a film not to be missed, and will stay with viewers for a long time.

Herpes Boy also screens at the Lone Star International Film Festival, which starts today.