Danielson: A Family Movie (or Make A Joyful Noise Here)

This stunning portrait of innovative Christian artist Daniel Smith and his musical family spans a complex pilgrimage that spawned a happenstance career. As part of an art show for his college thesis, in 1994 the New Jersey-bred Smith gathered his four younger siblings together (including his ten-year-old brother) to perform a handful of his eccentrically delivered spiritual songs. Such performances, along with the members’ own personal narratives, render the Danielson experience vividly. As the Famile persevered, dressed in costumes to reflect the ideas in Smith’s songs, their music gained accolades, from the likes of Spin to Steve Albini. Within this journey, Smith reinvents himself after his family band break apart temporarily and friend and protégé Sufjan Stevens achieves massive mainstream success with his own brand of faith songs. Featuring cameos by author Rick Moody and Daniel Johnston, JL Aronson has composed an endlessly fascinating story about one of America’s most innovative artists.