The 2011 comedy ACT NATURALLY vaults viewers on a vicarious visit to the fictitious Bear Lake Naturist Resort in Arizona.
The film is fun, well done, and with a little bit of comedic license, it fairly portrays what life might be like at some nudist facilities. By the way don't call it a nudist "colony" as the dialog corrects:
"... Nudist RESORT. Colonies are for lepers."
I plan to be using that line a lot.
For those of us in the very real Paradise Lakes Resort family this film was, perhaps, a little too true to life. In fact, it's almost spooky.
Here's the basic plot. The owner of a nudist resort suddenly dies in a freak accident.
Sound familiar? But wait Paradise8 Lakers, there's more. In fact, you might want to go ahead and sit down before reading further.
The place is inherited by none other than his two adult, non-nudist, daughters.
That's exactly what I thought!
Oh, and at the time of the transition, the front gate doesn't work.
Feel free to take a moment or two and breathe into a bag as needed.
To be very honest with you, at first I suspected the screenplay may have been loosely patterned after certain real events. Was this a case of nudist art imitating nudist life? No, it was just a strange coincidence, because the movie came out first.
Act Naturally is a character driven comedy with some serious and positive messages woven in there as well. Oh and by the way, most people aren't wearing any clothes.
The two daughters, who are marvelously portrayed by actresses Katie L. Hall and Liz Lytle, are hit with a lot at the beginning of the movie.
Estranged their whole lives the two girls meet for the first time upon learning of the death of their father. They are told that they need to drive to Arizona and collect his belongings. After an awkward cross-country drive they arrive at the resort, and discover much to their dismay that it is a nudist resort. Further, they learn that their dad owned the resort and that he has willed it to them.
They interact with the residents and staff who are led by a beautiful brunette, burn victi who is brilliantly brought to life by Susan May Pratt.
The big question is whether the daughters will sell the place to developers. The young ladies need the money. On the other hand the residents and staff need their home and their lifestyle. Which will it be?
But this film is much deeper than that. It is about people becoming generally better and liking themselves for who they are. It's about developing self-confidence and losing negative self issues.
Director J.P. Riley, the cast, and crew have captured something that I see all of the time as a real-life nudist. Living naked is a great way to shed old baggage.
In that sense, maybe this is an example of art imitating life after all . And doing so very well.
You will enjoy great laughs,awesome music, hilarious bloopers, and some mighty fine bodies as well. I won't spoil the ending for you, but I understand a sequel is in the works called Act Super Naturally and it reportedly will be out next year.
I can only hope that, in the sequel, the fictitious Bear Lake Naturist Resort is doing half as well as we are here at the Paradise Lakes Resort under our new ownership.
On my highly scientific nudist film rating scale of 5-0 tan lines, I give this film, Act Naturally, 0 tan lines. A perfect score!
Act Naturally on DVD
