Trent Harris

Directing

Trent Harris

Trent Harris is an independent filmmaker probably best known for his films Rubin & Ed and The Beaver Trilogy, both of which have amassed a cult following over the years.

Known For

EscalatorEscalator · 2026
Escalator
2026
Movie
Two lovers reunite.
TwisterTwister · 1989
Twister
★ 5.61989
MovieDramaComedy
An oddball family on a Kansas farm are trapped in their farmhouse by an impending storm. The patriarch of the clan is a retired soda pop tycoon. He is currently dating a children's TV evangelist. Also living at the farm is his layabout daughter and her precocious 8 year old daughter, his would-be artist son, the son's fiancée, and the black maid. Also thrown into the mix is the daughter's ex-husband, a ne-er-do-well who is seeking to get back in his ex-wife's good graces.
Beaver TrilogyBeaver Trilogy · 2000
Beaver Trilogy
★ 6.82000
MovieDocumentaryMusic
Our story begins in 1979, with a chance meeting in a Salt Lake City parking lot where filmmaker Trent Harris is approached by an earnest small-town dreamer from Beaver, Utah. Harris jumps at the chance when the young man invites him to come to the small town to film a talent show. At the show, the man dons a blond wig and performs in drag as Olivia Newton John. Harris captures it all on tape: A portrait of a true outsider. Harris shot a dramatic piece, "Beaver Kid 2" based on the documentary; This interpretation of the story, made in 1981 on a home video camera with a budget of $100, features a young Sean Penn as "the Beaver Kid". Still possessed, Harris then rewrote the script, cast up-and-comer Crispin Glover in the lead, and created the final segment, "The Orkly Kid", with funding from the American Film Institute. The trilogy unveils the inner world of a fantastic character in three incarnations.
SalvationSalvation
Salvation
MovieComedyDrama
Elder Braxton Barlow, a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while proselytizing in the streets of New York City with his missionary companion, encounters a fortune teller who gives a life-changing tarot card reading.
The Orkly KidThe Orkly Kid · 1985
The Orkly Kid
★ 6.11985
MovieComedyDrama
Larry (Crispin Glover) organizes a talent show in an attempt to get on TV but the small town of Orkly, Idaho, isn't ready for his Olivia Newton-John impersonation.
Echo PeopleEcho People · 2021
Echo People
2021
MovieComedy
A spin-off of "Rubin and Ed" with a new cast of misfits who are once again lost in the desert.
Plan 10 from Outer SpacePlan 10 from Outer Space · 1995
Plan 10 from Outer Space
★ 6.01995
MovieComedyScience Fiction
A woman accidentally discovers the Plaque of Kolob which leads her to discover an insidous alien plot for world domination documented by a disreputable early Mormon prophet. 'Plan 10 from Outer Space' is an eccentric comedy involving a bizarre relationship between Mormons, bees and extra terrestrials, hot on an obviously miniscule budget with a largely unknown cast, save for b-movie queen Karen Black.
Rubin & EdRubin & Ed · 1992
Rubin & Ed
★ 6.51992
MovieAdventureDrama
Reclusive Rubin Farr teams up with vocal but unsuccessful multi-level salesman Ed Tuttle on a quest to bury Rubin's dead cat in the "perfect spot." Their trip takes them across Utah's desert where they have run-ins with Ed's ex-wife Rula and an elusive Andy Warhol critic.

Filmography

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Beaver TrilogyBeaver Trilogy · 2000
Beaver Trilogy
★ 6.82000
MovieDocumentaryMusic
Our story begins in 1979, with a chance meeting in a Salt Lake City parking lot where filmmaker Trent Harris is approached by an earnest small-town dreamer from Beaver, Utah. Harris jumps at the chance when the young man invites him to come to the small town to film a talent show. At the show, the man dons a blond wig and performs in drag as Olivia Newton John. Harris captures it all on tape: A portrait of a true outsider. Harris shot a dramatic piece, "Beaver Kid 2" based on the documentary; This interpretation of the story, made in 1981 on a home video camera with a budget of $100, features a young Sean Penn as "the Beaver Kid". Still possessed, Harris then rewrote the script, cast up-and-comer Crispin Glover in the lead, and created the final segment, "The Orkly Kid", with funding from the American Film Institute. The trilogy unveils the inner world of a fantastic character in three incarnations.

Director