Trekkies (1999)
A Film Review by Mark O'Hara
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'Trekkies' is Roger Nygard's documentary that covers the networks and peregrinations of 'Star Trek' fans. As one speaker - a psychotherapist and devotee himself - reminds us, "fan" is short for "fanatic." What we see, then, is various subcultures of very ardent fans, and lifestyles inspired by Gene Roddenberry's ideas.
As in many serious films, the title surfaces, here assisting in dividing fans into a couple of categories. "Trekkie" appears to be a slightly belittling term, applied perhaps to a more casual watcher and occasional collector. "Trekker," on the other hand, is a heavier nomenclature, pointing out people who "walk the walk," as it were, with the minds who created the philosophy and world-view behind the original television series and its sundry spinoffs.
Thus the woman dismissed from the jury in the Whitewater trial for wearing her Lt. Commander outfit is a "Trekker." We meet her at the printing company where she works, and where her fellow employees and bosses call her "Commander." Another Trekker is the 14 year-old who designs computer graphics and real costumes. (In a smart narrative move, Nygard has this boy, who speaks clearly, like a young Danny Ackroyd, guide the camera around a Star Trek convention.) There's the young woman, Anne Murphy, who has idolized the actor who plays "Data" in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' -- Brent Spiner. She prefers "Spiner Femme" to the less precise fan names. One of the more extensively covered aficionados is an Orlando dentist who, along with his wife (one of his dental assistants), has converted the office into "Starbase Dental." The place is packed with 'Star Trek' paraphernalia, starship models suspended from the ceiling, cardboard standups of Worf and Picard and Crusher, assorted rubber masks positioned atop cabinets. Although one of his hygienists took some convincing before she donned a signature jumpsuit, the dentist's patients seem to love the original approach to office décor.
The film's 86 minutes are filled well with shots of these and other fans, along with snippets of interviews with several cast members of 'Star Trek' - mostly from the original late 60's series but some from the updates. An aspect employed to insure success is Denise Crosby, the actress who played the security chief "Tasha Yar" on 'The Next Generation." Now in her early 40's, Crosby acted as a producer, and no doubt supplied contacts with a lot of the other actors and facilities. She does much of the interviewing and interacting with the Trekkers; she even shows off some of the mementos sent her by fans - such as skillfully drawn sketches of her and fellow crew members. Crosby's screen presence is comfortable and assured. It certainly adds diversity to the narrative elements edited together to tell the story. Cinematographer Harris Done helps considerably with his work in the dramatic interludes - the short montages used to capture mood. In one sequence we see a quartet of Klingons enter a McDonald's. The young cashiers look at them curiously, and then we watch a wonderful series of Dutch angles, the camera canted as the bony-headed impersonators chow down on their Big Macs.
At its best, the film captures the fond ambivalence of the actors toward their loyal fans. Most of these emotions are indeed fond; only occasionally does the attitude "Get a Life!" slip out. The film is to be admired for not condescending to ardent fans. The notion we come away with is these fans are intelligent and compassionate people, themselves full of tolerance and the mindset that engendered the "Prime Directive" followed by the advanced civilization peopled by Spock and his cohorts. At its worst, the film is a tad too long, and goes in a series of circles, the result of portraying a number of individual stories instead of a more linear, climactic plot. But this is a downfall inherent to the documentary.
You do not have to be a 'Star Trek' fanatic to enjoy this film. Its built-in satire and wide range of factual storytelling make it charming and very watchable. You will be reminded how many common references and figures of speech have come from the show, and you will understand a little more the people who pursue all things 'Trek.'
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