Matt Barats’ Cash Cow (2023) follows a struggling young actor as he waits for his national Domino’s Pizza ad to air during the COVID-19 pandemic, while also visiting Mormon historical sites and relaying the story of the religion’s founder Joseph Smith. Barats is front and center in this microbudget documentary, often serving as his own cameraman and the main visible performer throughout (there are offscreen voices heard on phone calls to a friend of his, an agent, etc). It is a story simply told in some ways, but it is also a multifaceted look at religion in America and the gig economy in the pandemic era: Barats becomes a Domino’s delivery driver in addition to playing one in an ad when he runs short on money during his road trip. Not only that, but it is also a considered meditation on the nature of performance, as Barats seeks authenticity through visiting the sites relating to Smith and as an actual Domino’s driver, not just one in an ad. Though generically described as a documentary, Cash Cow comes across as more of a reality-based one-man show, with Barats visiting the Mormon sites and recounting the real life of Smith while presumably staging at least some of the other scenes of his journey, often for comedic effect. Barats has little ego about how he comes across onscreen and is perfectly willing to make himself seem foolish or petty, as in his constant complaints about his delayed pizza ad while the pandemic death toll steadily rises. Smith’s grand vision of religious achievement is set off against Barats’ considerably more modest goal of achieving residuals from the airing of his Domino’s ad, representing a shift in American eras and the continuity of struggle both men face seeking acknowledgment for their deeds.
What kind of library collections would Cash Cow best serve?
Cash Cow fits most firmly into a kind of sociology of America during the pandemic era, but it is also a reflection on the life of a working actor and features the Mormon dimension. This film would perform best in large library systems in cities where there is interest in alternative comedy and where the genre-bending nature of the film will see greater recognition. The deadpan tone and overall irreverence of the project might not go over as well in smaller systems.
Is Cash Cow a serious film about Mormonism and the COVID-19 pandemic?
Though Barats is a comedian it is clear that he put some measure of thought into the version of Smith’s life he presents to the viewer, and he shows particular interest in some of the more salacious aspects of the tale he is telling (worshippers speaking in tongues, treasure hunting, polygamy, etc). The film is not a good research or reference resource about Smith or Mormonism but those generally interested in the subject matter without prior knowledge are sure to learn something new. The COVID-19 aspect features strongly in the film, as when Barats becomes a food delivery driver like so many chose or were forced to during that period and since. Barats’ financial straits, as with many other aspects of the film, may or may not have actually been that dire, but his documentation of his deliveries roots the film in a lived reality during a time most of us would like to forget.
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