In the mid-1970s, Mobile, Alabama was going through an economic depression. President Johnson had closed Brookley Air Force Base and that caused unemployment to rise to 20% in the city by 1976. Thankfully, the local economy was about to get a shot in the arm from an unlikely source: Columbia Pictures. It had come to their attention that the recently vacated airplane hangars at the air base were unlike any warehouse location near Hollywood. They would be perfect for constructing sets for the newest Steven Spielberg movie, Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
Who Are You People? features present-day interviews with local politicians, townspeople, and businessmen who were recruited by Columbia Pictures to organize logistics for the production or who served as extras in the film in 1976. There really isn’t much of a plot to the documentary. It’s more of a collection of stories about how the production arrived in town, set-up shop, and filmed key scenes from the movie. In particular, the scenes filmed at the landing strip behind Devil’s Tower, the rail station scene, and the encounter that Roy Neary has at the railroad crossing are discussed in great detail.
Hardcore fans of Close Encounters will be pleased to discover never-before-seen photos of the cast and crew of the film taken by the extras and locally hired crew members. Cameras were not allowed on set as the studio was worried about information about the movie leaking to the press but several people smuggled cameras on set and took a number of photos anyway. These photos, along with other pictures from the local film commission and the studio, help flesh out the stories told by those involved with the filming.
As a fan of the movie business in general, I enjoyed the many anecdotes about how Columbia Pictures spent money in Mobile and the surrounding areas. Usually, when one watches a movie, very little thought is given to how sets were built or how scenes were staged. If that type of information is of interest to you, Who Are You People? is full of tidbits that you’ll enjoy.
One downside to the film is that, although scenes from Close Encounters are discussed in great detail, they’re never actually shown in the film. Presumably, that’s because the rights would have cost the filmmakers too much money. Still, it would have been nice to have the actual scenes to compare with the descriptions given by those who participated. In their place is storyboard art with a little bit of computer enhancement. It works but it’s not as effective as the actual scenes (or even photos from the finished film) would have been.
As it stands, though, Who Are You People? is a moderately entertaining look at how a blockbuster movie positively impacted an entire region of Alabama. Whether or not that will appeal to you will depend on your interest in either Close Encounters or film production. If you don’t have interest in either one, there’s probably very little about this film that will keep your attention.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
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