“Smile ‘Til It Hurts: The Up With People Story” is director Lee Storey’s debut feature documentary. After learning that her African-American husband was secretly a former member of Up With People (an ideological traveling choir group founded in the 1960s), curiosity reigned and she began exploring the group’s origins. Storey explains that as she kept digging, she “kept finding more surprises” – eventually leading to enough material for a feature-length film. Storey talked with us about the fascinating story behind her film and the Up with People group, which she humorously compares to “getting on the ‘It’s a Small World’ ride at Disney – and never getting off.”

Lee Storey

Traverse City Film Festival: It’s fitting that this film is coming to Michigan, because the Up with People story began on Mackinac Island. Could you talk about the origins of Up with People and give a brief overview of  the organization?

Lee Storey: Up with People is a non-profit educational group formed in 1968. It was one of the first show choirs and featured a young group of teen cast members. The group has traveled to 3,600 communities world-wide, sang to 20 million people – not including performances at four Superbowl shows – and has close to 20,000 alumni. It was formed as an ideological movement to counter the hippie culture and was dedicated to changing the hearts and minds of people around the world to the American way of life.

The connection to Mackinac Island is an interesting one. A large part of the island at the time was leased to an organization called Moral Re-Armament (MRA). MRA owned Mission Point Resort and also what was at the time the world’s third largest film studio, located on the island. MRA leader Peter Howard felt America was the answer to the world, and the organization would recruit youth to a yearly summer conference on Mackinac Island. The energy and ideas generated at those conferences led to the creation of Up with People, which was funded by the industrial elite. Because of some of the baggage surrounding MRA – claims of being a religious cult, of having political ties – Up with People became a separate entity in 1968 and disassociated itself from MRA. But most of the members and the leadership that would be involved with the organization for the next 40 years were all from MRA.

Up with People promotional poster

TCFF: You have a personal connection to this material because your husband, William Storey, is a former alumnus. What was his role in Up with People?

LS: It’s funny, because when I used to see those kids out on the front lawn doing calisthenics, I had no idea my future husband was among them. (laughs) We’ve been married 32 years, but for the first 16 years he never talked about that time in his life. Every now and then he’d sing these songs from the group to our kids, and told them it was music that had changed the world. I grew up in Detroit on rock and roll, so I couldn’t completely agree with that. But it was interesting, and I eventually found out he had been a member. He left in 1969 – he was burnt out and needed to walk away.

TCFF: What has been his reaction to the film?

LS: He didn’t want to be involved in the making of the film at all – and he wasn’t. He wanted me to be objective and do my own research and tell the story my way. He didn’t even see the film until I had the final cut. But he was shocked – he said, “You know more about this group than I do.” In a way, he almost didn’t want me to go too deep, because these people are powerful. But I kept digging and digging and digging, and I kept finding more surprises.

TCFF: You walk a fine line in the film between being sympathetic and fair to the stories of members and the positive aspects of the organization, while also casting a critical eye on more suspect aspects like political, religious and corporate influences. Talk about trying to achieve that balance and obtain objectivity in the film.

LS: Many of the group members were from small rural towns, and Up with People gave them access to places and people they otherwise would never have been able to experience. That was one positive aspect. It strongly appealed to their nature – these were young people, who were earnest and wanted to make an impression on the world. But in some ways, it’s like they got on the “It’s a Small World” ride at Disney and never got off. These kids became puppets, and there were puppetmasters behind them. Those puppetmasters were very good about how they approached the organization and interfaced with it over the last 40 years. Up with People started as a mission, went mainstream and then eventually became a pop culture joke when they lost their ideological relevancy.

Glenn Close performs on an Up with People album

TCFF: You focus on the early days of Up with People, but some readers might be surprised to learn this is an organization that’s still going strong today. How does Up with People today compare to the earlier incarnation you focus on in “Smile ‘Til It Hurts?”

LS: I think they have changed in the sense that they no longer believe they’re going to change the world. But they do think they can positively affect people one at a time, which is now their focus. I wouldn’t call them a cult, though others have, because they don’t meet all the criteria. But I’m not sure if they can survive as an organization, quite honestly.

TCFF: Did you ultimately walk away with an impression – positive or negative – about the credibility of Up with People?

LS: (pauses) That’s an excellent question. I was very conflicted. I wanted to believe the hype about Up with People. I’ve met with many students and staff and alumni, and they were so genuine and enthusiastic about their experiences. I can’t knock that. When you’re young, the whole world is your oyster. You want to make an impression, and that should be encouraged. It should be honored.

What troubled me is that the organization is very…controlling. They said they had a complete break from MRA, but all of the key players were heavily involved with and trained by MRA. They can’t not be affected by that. They said they weren’t religious or political, but they were backed by presidents and powerful politicians and corporations. They would sing songs in front of battleships. They were supporting the Vietnam War. Even today, Up with People is having their 45^th anniversary reunion in Tucson, Arizona, and when members complained about having it there because of the boycott surrounding the immigration law, their defense was that they are “politically neutral.” Well, supporting the status quo doesn’t necessarily mean you’re politically neutral.

Many Up with People members, including my husband, say they wouldn’t trade their experiences in the group for anything in the world. But regardless, these members were being used – and used mightily.

TCFF: Have you heard a response yet, official or unofficial, from Up with People about the film?

LS: I had a screening for them in Tucson last year. The board came and was not happy with me because I had opened up the screening to other alumni. They wanted to control the PR message about Up with People. I think they wanted the film to go away, and didn’t want the general public to see it. There were a lot of mixed emotions – they wanted a film that would be like a highlight reel of all their favorite group moments. But that’s not a documentary. The film gives a true account of the organization’s history and story. People who’ve wondered about the group or had questions about the sappiness of the program will hopefully find this film refreshing.

Lee Storey will appear at next week’s festival with her film “Smile ‘Til It Hurts: The Up With People Story,” which screens at Milliken Auditorium on Friday, July 30 at 12:30 p.m. For ticket information, click here.