By Derek Elley
31 Jul 2000, Variety, Page 27
Copyright 2000 Variety, Inc.

A Mysterious Offshore Holdings production. (International sales: MOH, San Diego, Calif.)

Produced, directed, written by Stuart Hynson Culpepper . Camera (FotoKem color), Zachary Erin Malone; editor, Culpepper ; music, Bruce Odland; set decorator, Marina Shoupe. Reviewed at Munich Film Festival, June 30, 2000. Running time: 78 MIN.

With: Gabe Anderson, Phil Beaumont, Lou Seitchik, Stuart Hynson Culpepper, Kitty Culpepper, Nakissa Eternad.

Three house-sharing San Diego guys have the even tenor of their lives thrown off-key when one finds he's a father in "The Origin of Man," a bargain-basement indie that ambles along for 78 minutes with occasional felicities along the way. Some fest outings look likely for this first movie by former line producer Stuart Hynson Culpepper, whose co-workers (both in front of and behind the camera) all hail from San Diego's legit scene.

In the early going, as Ed (Phil Beaumont), Nick (Culpepper) and Mitch (Lou Seitchik) lounge around talking about sex, manhood and orgasms, pic threatens to be another trying U.S. indie about men coping with fast-approaching middle age. The sudden arrival of George (Gabe Anderson), a precocious 12-year-old who claims Nick is his father from a distant liaison, perks up the movie. Nick faces his responsibilities and forges a funny, sometimes well-observed relationship with the kid. Ed's panic over an AIDS test, and Mitch's heart-to-hearts with his aged mom, fill in the sidelines. Though technically rather awkward, pic just about goes the distance --- at its best when trying least to be laid-back hip.

Culpepper Ancestry. The ancestry of Stuart is currently unknown to Culpepper Connections. If you know it, please let us know.