There are a number of oddity films that emerge at the Sundance Film Festival, and one that kind of came and went earlier this year was Don Verdean, from Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess. The film is a religious comedy starring Sam Rockwell as a Biblical archaeologist on the hunt for significant artifacts, only to get in way over his head.
While the film boasts stars such as Jemaine Clement, Danny McBride, Amy Ryan, and Will Forte, reviews out of Park City weren't that great, and this first trailer isn't as funny as it probably should be given the talent involved. Here's the synopsis:
Don Verdean is a man of faith who has devoted his life to biblical archaeology, scouring the globe in search of artifacts that back up the teachings of Jesus Christ. Now, traveling from town to town, he and his devoted assistant, Carol, spread the gospel by peddling books and DVDs out of his shabby RV, while his Holy Land contacts, Boaz and Shem, do the digging from afar. When evangelical preacher Tony Lazarus offers to bankroll Don’s modest roadside operation, the escalating pressure to find increasingly significant relics leads Don and his team down a less-than-righteous path. With more than just the word of God on the line, Don finds himself in the midst of a spiteful feud between two opposing congregations, leaving him to question what is truly important in life.
Don Verdean hits theaters on December 11th.
