Escape From Tomorrow is the debut film of Randy Moore which premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival. Much controversy and praise surrounded the premiere due to the way in which the film was produced.
It was shot on location at both Disney World in Florida and Disneyland in California without the consent and knowledge of Disney at the time of shooting. Various guerrilla filmmaking tactics were employed to ensure this. All footage was recorded with handheld cameras in black and white. This was for two reasons, first being the use of handheld cameras would discreetly allow production to take place -let’s not forget the thousands of tourists who will enter Disney parks every day with handheld cameras to capture their soon to be fondest memories. Second, the use of black and white film compensated for the fact they could not control the lighting. It also provided a different perspective in comparison to the usually colourful land which also serves to the film’s intended ambiguous meaning. The phones of the crew were also used to record sound and to store the script.
The plot revolves around Jim White and his family’s last day of vacation at Disneyland. Jim quickly becomes infatuated with two French girls in an ‘American Beauty’ sort of way. He compromises his children’s happiness to then further observe these French girls throughout their day. Jim clearly isn’t aware that a Disney park as an adult is vicariously experienced through its younger audience. He then experiences vivid hallucinations during various rides of sinister animatronics and even his own family. Obviously Jim’s current relationship with his wife ain’t all that when she leers at him during ‘It’s a Small World’ spitting ‘I hate you’ and clearly no amount of rides on the teacups later is going to change that.
Escape From Tomorrow’s merit lies in the idea that something so innocent can also be portrayed as something so dark if you scratch the surface, much like the opening sequence of David Lynch’s ‘Blue Velvet’. What if it came to be Snow White was actually snorting lines of cocaine on a Saturday evening? Obviously it goes against everything Disney stands for but is nonetheless a fascinating juxtaposition. Your sense of security is compromised, it makes you feel uneasy especially when it comes to the ideals and morals Disney want to instil. It’s a strong and ambitious idea to explore but unfortunately isn’t executed that well, mainly due to acting and pace.
If we’re to roll with the film’s message that the undeniable by-product of manufactured happiness is ignorance to the realities of the world outside Disney’s borders, then to be honest we really need look no further than the gates themselves for the true horror spectacle.
Imagine, if you will, a standard family consisting of two adults and two children being denied entry to the Magic Kingdom because they can’t afford the ridiculous $18 car parking charge in addition to their $1,500 park admission. Disney park cash registers have rung for over fifty years and will continue to sing the hymns of a dead man’s legacy, three-hundred and sixty five days a year. The welcome sign’s searing words ‘Where Dreams Come True’ will reflect in each family member’s eyes via the rear view mirror as they’re denied the only place (allegedly) where happiness (ignorance) can be bought. Then again you could always wish upon a star…
Reception has been mixed so far and ironically with a limited release, Disney have generally ignored Escape From Tomorrow’s existence. Despite questionable acting I’d highly suggest a viewing if not to explore the themes but to appreciate what Randy Moore and his team were able to achieve.
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