What is the truth? What are lies? What does one perceive to be the truth? In Tabloid, Errol Morris focuses on the scandalous story of Joyce McKinney, a former beauty queen from Wyoming who got caught up in a lurid encounter with a Mormon missionary in 1977.
After quickly meeting pudgy Mormon Kirk Anderson, Joyce fell instantly and madly in love. Her view was that this was a mutual relationship, but one hindered by Kirk’s faith. After their whirlwind romance, Kirk was “taken” by the church and sent to England, whereupon Joyce saved up enough money and tracked him down. Finding him in England, Joyce “flees” with Kirk to a cottage in Devon and proceeds to enjoy a three-day bender of “fun, food and sex”.
Kirk Anderson believed to have felt differently about the matter, and was a Mormon missionary who went to England willingly. Joyce soon followed with the help of her friend K.J. and kidnapped Kirk. The cottage in Devon was a den of lurid sexual encounters. Once released, he pressed charges, and the story featured in the British tabloid presses, becoming known as the case of the Manacled Mormon.
Three different stories are presented with interviews featuring McKinney herself, Daily Express newspaper reporter Peter Tory, Daily Mirror photographer Kent Gavin, Jackson Shaw – a pilot hired by McKinney and radio host (and resident Mormon expert) Troy Williams. McKinney presents her story as the absolute undeniable truth. Tory and Gavin present a seemingly more plausible reality, aided by the pilot’s interview, proving a case against Joyce. Troy Williams details a third option somewhere between Joyce and Kirk’s version, providing another likely option. One can only imagine how the film would have turned out if Kirk had agreed to be interviewed.
Timing is of the essence as they say, and with the inquiries into Rupert Murdoch’s News of the World publication, the timing could not be more suited to Tabloid’s release. The documentary is filmed in typical Morris style, with the actors appearing to look directly into the camera, while a score from John Kusiak reminiscent of Philip Glass’ work from The Thin Blue Line plays underneath. Fun, snappy, tabloid style graphics overlay the film and remind the viewer of the cut and paste nature of the subject.
Tabloid is fun, quirky and a terrific document of a tabloid sensationalism blown out of proportion. Illusions and lies are at the heart of the film, and one quote from Joyce resonates deeply. While defending her own truth, and detailing other people’s potential for dishonesty Joyce speaks the prophetic words “you can tell a lie long enough that you believe it.”
Tabloid is currently in limited release in Australia through Antidote Films.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWeQce0cZsE]
But for the REAL Joyce McKinney story–by an Australian autor:
http://bewrite.net/mm5/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=B&Product_Code=9781906609702