Jump: A Frogumentary

Calaveras County in California was once a wide-open miners' town with rowdy, rough-and-ready men willing to wager on almost anything, as evidenced by its celebrity as the site of the jumping-frog contest that Mark Twain recounted in one of his best-loved short stories. Today, the competition survives in memory as a point of local pride and is marked by an annual “jumping frog jubilee”—the “world series” of frog jumping. Presided over by a “frogmeister,” the events are celebrated with amphibian memorabilia in local shops, while the town itself is festooned with sidewalk plaques collectively known as the “hop of fame.” In its depiction of this eagerly anticipated slice of Americana—and lucrative tourist draw—filmmaker Justin Bookey's documentary includes interviews with individual and team competitors, describes the rules of the contest, and offers tips on gathering and collecting frogs (you can also rent one for the day). Participants boast about the features of a winning specimen and revel in traditions passed down for generations, while a disgruntled animal rights activist (who was also an unsuccessful contender for the event's beauty queen title) even has her say. A colorful slice of offbeat Americana, this is recommended. Aud: P. (S. Rees)