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First Ms. Storey said that Up With People was representing America. That is totally wrong. It was a global organization. I think she needs to get her facts straight. Being in Arizona and having access to archives I am certain this gave her names and addresses of thousands of Alumni. I guarantee that she never sent out a blanket questionaire to see what the majority of Amumns thought about their experience. Ms. Story hand picked a small number of somewhat disgruntled Amumni from which to gather her tainted story. I wonder if Ms. Storey has researched the alumns of today to find out how their lives were impacted by there experience in Up With People. Lastly it's sad to use a failed marriage to distort and damage a wonderful group of young people. If her ex-husband lied to become a more popular member of the group that is his problem. He was never asked to lie about his background.

I sang with a local Sing Out group in 1967-68. My friends and I joined after a group came to the church i attended and they recruited. We did several performances around the area(south coast of Massachusetts) including one on the capital steps in Boston. I didn't try out for the national touring cast. It was fun for a while, I was 14-15 years old, and a positive message. I don't recall any cult aspects on the local level. But I then went over to the rock and roll side...

I've not seen the doc yet and am interested in doing so, but I must say that I actually travelled in UWP as a young person in the mid-80s (for 3 consecutive years). We had gay cast members (plenty of them & no one cared) and we were very community service oriented even then. In every city we travelled to (approx 100 per year) we performed a show as well as community service of some kind. We did not have arranged marriages, were not a religious sect and the organization prided itself on being apolitical and non-sectarian - in order to welcome in as diverse a cast as possible. My casts consisted of approx 100 people traveling together representing over 25 different nations, which afforded me, at an early age, a very rich cultural/educational experience and breadth of understanding that I've carried forward in my life since. It also allowed me to have friends for life in so many interesting places! As a cast member I had heard about stories of arranged marriages and ties to MRA in the early 60s. But the organization I knew & participated in in the mid-80's & onward made it very clear they had made a clean break from any & all ties to MRA back in 1968. I certainly hope the filmmaker has represented such.

To Seth: Not only do I agree with Hank's comments here, your comments make me feel like you made them without even seeing the documentary. I have to admit, I am too young to remember 'Up With People' and I had similar questions as you going in. However, I found that these questions were all answered (and answered well) in a very entertaining manor. In the end, I learned a lot about something that I didn't even know I knew little about going in. I recommend you see the film and reserve your judgements until you do. I am sure you will learn a lot and have a vastly different opinion about the film once you do.

Kudos to the filmmaker for doing a good job.

To Seth: It's just a wee bit self-centered to think that something that isn't interesting to you has no value to other people. This documentary is interesting to me and apparently lots of other people. So it's OK for you to live with the mystery of why we like it. Life is full of mysteries and for you this is just one more.

The time went far too fast and I failed to mention numerous things! I'm a lawyer and first time filmmaker, yes, but I couldn't have made SMILE 'TIL IT HURTS without Producer Bari Pearlman, Executive Producer Jack Lechner and a marvelous editing team headed by Penelope Falk. Making this doc has been a hoot!
Press and sales info, film clips and our blog are at www.smiletilithurts.com.

I had the opportunity to screen this movie and I must say I was surprised at the in depth look it gave into such a closed off organization. It dismantled many of my preconceived notions about the organization and the people who were involved and yet gave an insight into the danger in following any organization/person blindly. I would definitely recommend that you catch a screening if you can. And in response to a previous commentator, I would agree that every story isn't interesting but this one actually is. Catch a screening you might learn something. I did.

I thought documentaries were collaborative projects, and especially since Ms. Storey mentioned that she is really a lawyer and this is her first documentary, I thought she would mention others that -may have - helped. But she didn't. As a lawyer looking to engage my creative side I am now inspired and hopeful that I too can do a documentary ... all on my own. I thank her for being such a trailblazer.

Why is this interesting? What effect did this group have on anything or anyone besides it's members? The music is horrible. So...why bother? Every story isn't interesting!
What a shock! They were right-wing loonies and homophobic.

I remember singing 'Up With People' songs in my 7th grade school music class in 1969. It was obvious st the time that they were a deliberate attempt to counteract the 'hippies'. While my 12-year-old mind found their music was bland, (I liked Led Zepplin) their very existance was thought provoking. I did not realize they were sponsored by a cult-like organization, but I didn't think to ask.

Ugh! This group came to my high school to perform back in the '90s. I didn;t know they were a cult! For what it's worth, we made SO much fun of them. Cynical high school kids.