In A Nutshell:
Directors Ricki Stern and Annie Sundberg follow her for some 14 months in the year of her 75th birthday (2008). This movie, a docu-biography, is funny, poignant, and sad. Born of Jewish parents in New York, Joan started to perform stand-up comedy in the 1970s. By the 1980s, she had become the permanent guest host for Johnny Carson. After her husband committed suicide in 1987, her career went into decline. She has had her ups and downs, but strives to continue to perform--even today. She paved the way for such comediennes as Sarah Silverman and Kathy Griffin. Well, this is the official story.
Funny--you see her perform in various venues around the country--and I think her humor is still as sharp as ever. What seemed shocking some 30 years ago is taken for granted today. She laughs at others as well as herself.
Poignant--here is this woman, rolling in money, who says I need the money, I need to work, why don't I have more engagements. Yet she lives in a large apartment in New York, tries her hand at many things (including designing jewelry for QVC and appearing on the Celebrity Apprentice show with Donald Trump), and having numerous face lifts and other work done on her appearance.
Sad--you get the sense that she is very much alone. Her daughter plays an important role in her life, but the relationship is questionable. She fires her manager after a number of years. She is almost--but not quite--a has-been. She doesn't need the money--she needs the adulation.
So many have said that the only time comedians are happy is when they are performing. I suspect that is true for her as well. This very revealing and intimate look at her life is a reminder to all of us that maybe we need to learn when to "give it up".
No comments:
Post a Comment