In smalltown Georgia, Lowe Porter owns a multimillion dollar steel company–but that’s not his dream. His dream is to build a boat, more than two-hundred miles from the nearest body of water, and transport it, using the help of his son, Cole Porter, his VP. But there’s one serious issue, other than the fact that the boat wasn’t built in a shipyard, it weighs nearly one-hundred-thousand pounds. Transporting this boat will be difficult, and it’s ultimately on Cole to make it happen. This is The Ark of Lilburn, a town-wide phenomenon, and it’s causing some problems.
First of all: who the hell thinks it’s a good idea to build a ship more than two-hundred miles from the closest body of water? Well, this oversight, or maybe even act of bravado, is the catalyst for the wonderful documentary. The film, for the most part, is lighthearted, comedic, and just downright fun. The Ark of Lilburn wastes no time expressing to viewers how it will be each of these things–allowing the individuals present in the film to swear and simply speak their minds–and oftentimes the things on their minds are hilarious.
It’s hard not to fall in love with all of the individuals working for Lowe, as their personalities, all so different from one another, resonate with viewers and give The Ark of Lilburn character. Their personalities manage to conflict with one another, and at the same time make the others on screen better. It’s almost like the group competes with one another to see who can be the goofiest–and it works. There’s no obvious competition, and I think it’s something that happens naturally within the bunch, and I loved every minute of it.
In all of the ridiculousness present in the testimonies in The Ark of Lilburn, there is an honesty that transcends the entirety of the film. There’s no doubt that each and every person in the film is going to tell the world exactly how they feel about what’s occurring, and that’s fantastic for the film. That honesty allows us to feel like we’re there, like we really know what’s happening throughout the course of this journey–and that allows us to feel like we are part of the journey. While that honesty often comes from a place of humor, there is a moment (just a moment), smack dab in the middle of the film, where drama and passion fill the room. Characters are seen as vulnerable for the first time–and that sudden shift allows viewers to better understand what they are seeing on screen, better appreciate who and what they are. This instance allows the entire film, everything that they’ve been working toward, to mean more and to have a greater purpose.
Comedy is the primary vehicle by which the story of The Ark of Lilburn is told–and that’s inviting. However, Director Nick DeKay knows how to shift the tone of his film effectively, in a way that helps to develop these characters and to create sympathy. For the most part The Ark of Lilburn is incredibly lighthearted–but it possesses passion and vigor, and every second of this documentary manages to work. I laughed, I bordered on tears, but more importantly than anything else, I loved this wonderful film.
Directed by Nick DeKay.
Starring Cole Porter, Lowe Porter, Kevin Geeslin, Ian West, Khari Taylor, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
Stumbled onto this documentary and found it to be fresh and interesting and well done. When investigating the Director it appears to be his first run, producing a movie like this I have to say he did an awesome job!