Jailhouse to Milhouse follows the heartbreaking and triumphant tale of Pamela Hayden as she recounts her journey from being trapped in a juvenile detention center as a child to her eventually escaping that abusive life and finding success in voicing the character Milhouse in The Simpsons. The documentary strikes the perfect balance of being fun and silly but also mature and somber when it needs to be, which it achieves without having tonal whiplash because the transitions between these moments are so smooth. In a way, its use of mixing comedy and seriousness is reflective of how The Simpsons handles its messaging. Hayden herself is a very skilled public speaker and she knows how to utilize an audience’s engagement to convey a gripping tale.
While this story is about Hayden’s personal journey of going from her lowest lows to her highest highs, it all serves the purpose of expressing a more broad overall message to anyone watching. Hayden says within the documentary, “I thought that 21 years old would be my expiration date” but right after that, the story takes a turning point where she gets her life together piece by piece as she climbs out of the metaphorical hole she was buried under in her youth. Hayden saw absolutely no hope for surviving into adulthood, but even she was able to turn her life around for the better. It must be commended how her story is framed in the context that anyone, no matter how far astray they go from their paths in life, can always find a way to make something great of themselves.
This is actually Director Buddy Farmer’s first time directing a film, and from the way that this story is conveyed, his background in playwriting is on full display here. The method in which this story is conveyed is very similar to the structure of how a theatrical play is written, which results in a very interesting and unique overall presentation for the movie. A small criticism for the storytelling is that the overall pacing felt either too slow or too fast at times. The section that focused on Hayden’s earlier days was well paced and properly lingered on the weight of her situation, but I felt that some of the parts later in the movie that focused on her voice acting career went by a little but too quickly and could have touched upon on some more of her roles outside of Milhouse a bit more. That is just a minor criticism though because this movie has Milhouse in its title, so it has every right to mostly focus on that part of her voice acting career. Hayden’s story was just so interesting that it left the viewer wanting more.
Shifting gears, another aspect of the movie that was notable was Gil Talmi’s score. Some documentaries fall into the trap of having very generic sounding sad and hopeful tracks for the highs and lows of its story, but Gil Talmi’s soundtrack has a selection of songs that are all distinct and memorable. A standout song is the main theme “Everything's Coming Up Milhouse” which in tandem with how the movie builds up that phrase so much, makes it really emotionally impactful when it plays.
Overall, Jailhouse to Milhouse is an inspiring heartfelt documentary that has an impactful message that can resonate with not only its target demographic of young girls, but also with everyone. Every person has had their lows in life, and Hayden’s story serves as a reminder that one should never give up on their pursuits because beyond that dark tunnel in life is a bright sunny day just waiting to happen!
Jailhouse to Milhouse screens at the Spring 2024 New Jersey Film Festival on Saturday, January 27 – Online for 24 Hours and In-Person at 5PM in Voorhees Hall #105/Rutgers University, 71 Hamilton Street, New Brunswick, NJ. Jailhouse to Milhouse Director Buddy Farmer and Pamela Hayden will be on hand to do a Q+A after the In-Person screening!
For more info and tickets go here.
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