A Man Among Giants Explained

A Man Among Giants
Director:Rod Webber
Producer:Ali Bell
Matthew D. Ferrel
Starring:Tiny The Terrible
Rod Webber
Jay Tunstall
Joseph James Bellamy
Music:Rod Webber
Cinematography:Greyson Welch
Editing:David T. Grophear
Rod Webber
Runtime:94 minutes
Country:United States
Language:English

A Man Among Giants is a documentary film directed by Rod Webber which documents the misadventures of Doug 'Tiny The Terrible' Tunstall, a black, republican little-person who ran for Mayor of Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 2006.[1] As a former WWF pro-wrestler, and toy store elf, Tiny, a self-described "ghetto republican" has a difficult time being taken seriously.[2] The fact that he is accused of having called in a threat to a local radio station doesn't help either. And yet, with the undying tenacity of the man, there is something bizarrely endearing about Tunstall. In the words of The Boston Globe, "He is afraid of no one and, in more lucid moments, he advocates for America’s have-nots in the heartfelt words of a guy who knows whereof he speaks."[3]

Plot

After spending years on the independence wrestling circuit, and appearing on shows like WWF Monday Night Raw and The Jerry Springer Show, Tiny leaps into a political system where he is in over his head.[4] Living on a fixed income, Tiny can't do much more than get out and shake hands with the voters. But when Dave Lewis, a wealthy backer comes to manage his campaign, things begin to take on a new life and a new struggle, this time within the campaign. In the words of Todd Cioffi of Fest21.com, "Somehow, this odd little man, with his half-formed policy ideas and his misshapen sense of politics, connects with people... Ultimately, warts and all, he is strangely compelling... In the end, Tunstall shows the truth to the cliché that life is about the journey, not the destination and that, sometimes, even a loser can be a winner."[5]

Aftermath

After the completion of the documentary, Tiny was arrested for making threats to public officials.[6]

Screenings

An early cut of A Man Among Giants premiered June 4, 2008 at the Hoboken International Film Festival.[7]

The completed cut premiered at Reel Fest in July 2009.[8] [9]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tiny Dreams Big. Boston Herald. 2010-10-04. 2009-07-06. https://web.archive.org/web/20090706064547/http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/movies/general/view.bg?articleid=1182993. live.
  2. News: Larger Than Life. Boston Herald. June. Wulff. July 8, 2009. October 4, 2010. November 2, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121102083206/http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/07/08/film_8216a_man_among_giants8217_at_somerville_theatre/. live.
  3. News: Last Hurrah. Boston Globe. 2010-10-04. 2012-11-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20121102083213/http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/07/09/8216a_man_among_giants8217_examines_an_attention_seeker8217s_last_hurrah/. live.
  4. Web site: Tiny The Terrible on WWF. WWF. 2018-06-29. 2020-10-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20201012182050/https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0682947/fullcredits#cast. live.
  5. Web site: Special To Hoboken Film Festival. Hoboken International Film Festival. 2010-10-04. 2011-09-29. https://web.archive.org/web/20110929223411/http://www.fest21.com/en/blog/todd/special_to_the_hoboken_film_festival_2008_a_man_among_giants. live.
  6. News: 'Tiny' dreams big . . 5 July 2009 . Woodman, Tenley . 4 October 2010 . 6 July 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090706064547/http://www.bostonherald.com/entertainment/movies/general/view.bg?articleid=1182993 . live .
  7. Web site: Hoboken International Film Festival. 2010-10-04. https://web.archive.org/web/20110712213426/http://www.hobokeninternationalfilmfestival.com/2008schedule.php. 2011-07-12. dead.
  8. News: Reel Partnership. Boston Globe. Linda. Matchan. July 5, 2009. October 4, 2010. November 2, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121102083224/http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2009/07/05/duxbury_arts_center_teams_up_with_the_coolidge/. live.
  9. Web site: Collaborators In Thought. https://web.archive.org/web/20121104211536/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-20524421.html. dead. 2012-11-04. Boston Globe.