World's Largest

I’m sure at some point many of us have wondered what is the deal with all those tourist traps that tout they are the “worlds largest” fill in the blank. Oddly enough I visited one on the way to SXSW 2010. It’s the world’s biggest peanut in Ashburn GA, and believe it or not it makes an appearance in this film. I took many a picture in front of it, stopped to eat some chicken and went on my merry way, not giving it a second thought. The minds behind this film however did all the grunt work that none of us really ever thought we would care about. They illuminated a world that nobody ever thinks of. And they made a really fascinating documentary.

“Worlds Largest,” is about the all of those roadside things, from the world’s biggest apple, to the world’s biggest cow, and even shows us one town’s struggle to build the world’s largest lava lamp. I really enjoyed this film. It’s full of that charm that is purely American. And it really delves deeply into why all these things exist. It’s a sad story really, of a shifting American landscape. Small towns that fall on hard times risk losing their way of life forever. The only way they can really think of reinvigorating their local economy is to build something that will bring in tourist dollars, often in vain. Most people it turns out do what I did; stop, take a picture, eat, and leave.

It’s crazy to see all the people who put their lives and hopes on the line just to build this large sculpture that many would consider a big joke. It’s heartbreaking and sad. But this film is about more than that. It’s about how America is changing. Small towns get replaced by urban sprawl. Farm land gets developed and people lose their livelihoods. The world is in constant flux, it is never really as we think it is, and we will always pine for something that never existed. There may not be enough to this movie for some people, but personally I thought it was beautiful and moving, and absurd and weird, and fascinating and poignant. I really hope it comes out on DVD, because it is definitely worth a viewing.