Smile Til It Hurts: The Up With People Story

  • January 2009
  • 1hr

    22mins

  • Documentary
  • Directed by

    Lee Storey,

    Jack Lechner,

    Archival footage, photos, news clips, and interviews combine to offer a comprehensive overview of the clean-cut, buttoned-down singing youth group that attempted to change the world in the riotous 1960s. A true cultural phenomenon, Up with People performed in 47 languages to a global audience that included popes and kings; they even performed at the Super Bowl half-time show. As former members offer heartfelt reflections on their time with Up with People and what the group really mean to them personally, the viewer is presented with a thought-provoking glimpse into the cultural underbelly of politics, cults, and money.