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{{Infobox Film
{{Infobox film
| name = Man of the Year
| name = Man of the Year
| image =
| image = MOTYfoto.jpg
| caption =
| caption = original poster
| director = [[Dirk Shafer]]
| director = [[Dirk Shafer]]
| producer = [[Matt Keener]]
| producer = [[Matt Keener]]
| writer = [[Dirk Shafer]]
| writer = Dirk Shafer
| starring = {{Plainlist|
| starring = [[Dirk Shafer]] <br> [[Vivian Paxton]] <br> [[Bill Brochtrup]] <br> [[Beth Broderick]]
* Dirk Shafer
⚫
| music = [[Peitor Angell]] <br> [[Barry Stich]] <br> Eric Vetro
* Vivian Paxton
* Claudette Sutherland
* [[Michael Ornstein]]}}
⚫
| music = [[Peitor Angell]]<br>[[Barry Stich]]<br>Eric Vetro
| cinematography = [[Stephen Timberlake]]
| cinematography = [[Stephen Timberlake]]
| editing = [[Barry S. Silver]] <br> [[Ken Solomon]]
| editing = [[Barry S. Silver]]<br>[[Ken Solomon]]
| distributor = [[Seventh Art Releasing]]
| distributor = [[Seventh Art Releasing]]
| released = [[September 15]], [[1995]] ([[Toronto Film Festival]])
| released = {{Film date|1995|09|15|[[Toronto International Film Festival]]}}
| runtime = 86 minutes
| runtime = 86 minutes
| country = USA
| country = United States
| awards =
| language = English
| language = [[English language|English]]
| budget =
| gross = $209,935<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=manoftheyear96.htm|title = Man of the Year}}</ref>
| budget =
| preceded_by =
| followed_by =
| amg_id =
| imdb_id = 0113756
}}
}}

'''''Man of the Year''''' is a [[1995 in film|1995]] [[mockumentary]] written, directed by and starring [[Dirk Shafer]]. The film is a fictionalized account of Shafer's reign as [[Playgirl]] magazine's 1992 "Man of the Year" and his struggle with reconciling his public persona as a [[sex symbol]] to women with his identity as a [[gay]] man. Shafer combines mock interviews (both with some of the actual people involved and with actors standing in for the actual people) with archive footage from Shafer's appearances on [[talk show]]s like ''[[Phil Donahue|Donahue]]'', ''[[Maury (TV series)|The Maury Povich Show]]'' and ''[[The Jerry Springer Show]]'' (along with an early appearance on ''[[Dance Fever]]'') and recreations of events like his Playgirl photoshoots and "fantasy date" with a Playgirl reader to relate the story.
'''''Man of the Year''''' is a 1995 [[mockumentary]] film written, directed by and starring [[Dirk Shafer]]. It is a fictionalized account of Shafer's reign as ''[[Playgirl]]'' magazine's 1992 "Man of the Year" and his struggle with reconciling his public persona as a [[sex symbol]] to women with his identity as a [[gay]] man. Shafer combines mock interviews (both with some of the actual people involved and with actors standing in for the actual people) with archive footage from Shafer's appearances on [[talk show]]s like ''[[Phil Donahue|Donahue]]'', ''[[Maury (TV series)|The Maury Povich Show]]'' and ''[[The Jerry Springer Show]]'' (along with an early appearance on ''[[Dance Fever]]'') and recreations of events like his Playgirl photoshoots, his "fantasy date" with a ''Playgirl'' reader and the death of his friend Pledge Cartwright (played by actor [[Bill Brochtrup]]) of an [[AIDS]]-related illness to relate the story.


==Critical response==
==Critical response==
''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' gave ''Man of the Year'' a generally favorable review, calling the film "pleasant to watch and intermittently clever."<ref name = variety>{{cite news | last = Levy | first = Emmanuel | title = Man of the Year | work = Variety | date = 1995-07-17 | url = https://www.variety.com/review/VE1117904280.html?categoryid=31&cs=1 | accessdate = 2008-03-23}}</ref> However, it notes that Shafer's writing is "uneven" and that the film's "structure is a bit repetitive."<ref name = variety /> ''[[The New Yorker]]'' largely concurred, noting that Shafer "keep[s] condescension at bay with some nice comic spins"<ref>{{cite news | last = Diones | first = Bruce | title = Man of the Year | work = New Yorker | date = 1996-04-01 | url = https://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/film/man_of_the_year_shafer | accessdate = 2008-03-23 | archive-date = 2008-04-06 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080406034002/http://www.newyorker.com/arts/reviews/film/man_of_the_year_shafer | url-status = dead }}</ref> but finding the use of the death of Shafer's friend as Shafer's catalyst for coming out to be self-serving. The ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' was far harsher, deriding the film as a "vanity" production and complaining "There's no shape to ''Man of the Year'', no forward movement. ''Man of the Year'' doesn't even have the benefit of being hip."<ref>{{cite news | last = LaSalle | first = Mick | title = 'Year' of Living Vainly | work = San Francisco Chronicle | date = 1996-03-01 | url = http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/1996/03/01/DD12074.DTL | accessdate = 2008-03-23}}</ref> ''[[The New York Times]]'', however, found the film "gently satirical"<ref name = nytimes>{{cite news | last = Holden | first = Stephen | title = Literally and Figuratively, Unclothing a Dreamboat | work = New York Times | date = 1996-03-15 | url = https://movies.nytimes.com/movie/review?_r=1&res=9803E4DD1639F936A25750C0A960958260&oref=slogin | accessdate = 2008-03-23}}</ref> with the use of real clips from Shafer's various talk show appearances creating a "tone of vertiginous loopiness."<ref name = nytimes /> The ''Times'' also saw the metaphor in Shafer's experience to the pressure that society put on gay people to pretend to be straight.
''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' gave ''Man of the Year'' a generally favorable review, calling the film "pleasant to watch and intermittently clever." However, it notes that Shafer's writing is "uneven" and that the film's "structure is a bit repetitive."<ref>{{cite news
| last = Levy
| first = Emmanuel
| coauthors =
| title = Man of the Year
| work = Variety
| pages =
| language =
| publisher =
| date = 1995-07-17
| url = http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117904280.html?categoryid=31&cs=1
| accessdate = 2008-03-23}}</ref>


==DVD release==
==DVD release==
''Man of the Year'' was released on Region 1 [[DVD]] on [[February 23]], [[1999 in home video|1999]].
''Man of the Year'' was released on Region 1 [[DVD]] on February 23, 1999.

==References==
{{reflist}}


==External links==
==External links==
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113756 ''Man of the Year''] at [[Internet Movie Database]]
* [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113756 ''Man of the Year''] at [[Internet Movie Database]]


{{DEFAULTSORT:Man Of The Year (1995 Film)}}
[[Category:1995 films]]
[[Category:1995 films]]
[[Category:LGBT-related films]]
[[Category:1995 LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:Mockumentaries]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ-related films]]
[[Category:American mockumentary films]]
[[Category:HIV/AIDS in American films]]
[[Category:Films directed by Dirk Shafer]]
[[Category:Films directed by Dirk Shafer]]
[[Category:1990s mockumentary films]]
[[Category:1990s English-language films]]
[[Category:1990s American films]]

Latest revision as of 17:55, 24 September 2024

Man of the Year
original poster
Directed byDirk Shafer
Written byDirk Shafer
Produced byMatt Keener
Starring
CinematographyStephen Timberlake
Edited byBarry S. Silver
Ken Solomon
Music byPeitor Angell
Barry Stich
Eric Vetro
Distributed bySeventh Art Releasing
Release date
Running time
86 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$209,935[1]

Man of the Year is a 1995 mockumentary film written, directed by and starring Dirk Shafer. It is a fictionalized account of Shafer's reign as Playgirl magazine's 1992 "Man of the Year" and his struggle with reconciling his public persona as a sex symbol to women with his identity as a gay man. Shafer combines mock interviews (both with some of the actual people involved and with actors standing in for the actual people) with archive footage from Shafer's appearances on talk shows like Donahue, The Maury Povich Show and The Jerry Springer Show (along with an early appearance on Dance Fever) and recreations of events like his Playgirl photoshoots, his "fantasy date" with a Playgirl reader and the death of his friend Pledge Cartwright (played by actor Bill Brochtrup) of an AIDS-related illness to relate the story.

Critical response

[edit]

Variety gave Man of the Year a generally favorable review, calling the film "pleasant to watch and intermittently clever."[2] However, it notes that Shafer's writing is "uneven" and that the film's "structure is a bit repetitive."[2] The New Yorker largely concurred, noting that Shafer "keep[s] condescension at bay with some nice comic spins"[3] but finding the use of the death of Shafer's friend as Shafer's catalyst for coming out to be self-serving. The San Francisco Chronicle was far harsher, deriding the film as a "vanity" production and complaining "There's no shape to Man of the Year, no forward movement. Man of the Year doesn't even have the benefit of being hip."[4] The New York Times, however, found the film "gently satirical"[5] with the use of real clips from Shafer's various talk show appearances creating a "tone of vertiginous loopiness."[5] The Times also saw the metaphor in Shafer's experience to the pressure that society put on gay people to pretend to be straight.

DVD release

[edit]

Man of the Year was released on Region 1 DVD on February 23, 1999.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Man of the Year".
  2. ^ a b Levy, Emmanuel (1995-07-17). "Man of the Year". Variety. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
  3. ^ Diones, Bruce (1996-04-01). "Man of the Year". New Yorker. Archived from the original on 2008-04-06. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
  4. ^ LaSalle, Mick (1996-03-01). "'Year' of Living Vainly". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
  5. ^ a b Holden, Stephen (1996-03-15). "Literally and Figuratively, Unclothing a Dreamboat". New York Times. Retrieved 2008-03-23.
[edit]
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