Backstreet Boys, NSYNC, Jonas Brothers, Everclean.
Boy bands had their heyday in the ’90s and early 2000s.
Maybe it’s time to rewatch “Sons of Provo,” the mockumentary about the Latter-day Saint boy band, Everclean, that won our hearts in 2004.
For the uninitiated or those who may need their memories refreshed, “Sons of Provo” follows Will Jensen and Danny Jensen, two members of a Latter-day Saint boy band in Provo, Utah. The two lost the third member of their group and need to search for another one.
Kirby Laybourne joins the group, and then they find a manager and start pitching themselves for gigs. What follows is pure comedy.
The group takes themselves very seriously. Infighting ensues and they have to learn how to successfully run a band together. Latter-day Saint celebrities like Donny and Marie Osmond are mentioned in the film, along with Provo idiosyncrasies that those who attended Brigham Young University might remember.
Everclean performs several songs throughout the movie, such as “Dang, Fetch, Oh My Heck” and “Sweet Spirit (A Ballad).” These songs are still available on Spotify.
The film was a production of Halestorm Entertainment, which is also responsible for other movies like “The Singles Ward” and “The R.M.” While the film is dated and perhaps a little campy, it’s still worth watching again.
Here’s why.
The film itself is charming — especially in the sense that it is self-aware. The writers and directors clearly knew that a Latter-day Saint boy band might be taken as a lark and instead of shying away from it, they leaned into it.
The strength of the film is its ability to play into ideas that exist and percolate throughout the culture. Kerry Lengel for the Arizona Republic said, “No, it’s not particularly original. But it’s pretty darned funny.”
There are some inside jokes about Latter-day Saints that might be difficult for a general audience to understand, but the plot and humor of the movie is accessible to everyone.
If you’re looking for a darned good time, try “Sons of Provo.”