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In more than 40 years on the air, Saturday Night Live has introduced a number of beloved comics—and just as many memorable characters. And the documentary Love, Gilda tells the story of the very first Not Ready for Prime-Time Player, Gilda Radner.
Love, Gilda follows the life and career of the beloved comedienne, as told in her own words and those of the people who knew her best: her friends, her family, and her fellow comics. Using audio recordings, interviews, excerpts from her diary, and plenty of archive footage of performances and even childhood adventures, the film follows Gilda from her youthful struggles with her weight to her discovery of comedy to stardom and eventually sickness. And as it does so, it shows a woman who wanted nothing more than to be loved and to make people laugh.
It’s rare that a documentary can look back at a historical figure’s life and tell the story almost entirely in the subject’s own words—and that’s just a part of the appeal of Love, Gilda. It isn’t just about how others saw her—or about other people’s experiences with her. It uses her recordings and poetry and diaries to explore what her life truly was like—from her early days on stage to her battle with cancer.
Of course, a short documentary like this one can’t cover every aspect of Radner’s life—and director Lisa Dapolito chose to focus her attention on the light, funny, upbeat parts of the story. The film does does have some striking moments, as a few lines of Radner’s poetry or a passage from her diary offers a deeper insight into her experiences. But while it hints at the comic’s struggles and heartbreaks, and it also mentions both her eating disorder and her sickness, it chooses not to explore them in the same kind of depth. For the most part, it’s a playful exploration of Radner’s fun-loving spirit and bubbly personality. It’s a film full of joy and laughter and silliness—and the kind of people with whom you’d love to hang out.
From the moments with those who worked with her, it’s clear that she was loved and respected. From the moments with some of today’s comics, it’s clear how much she’s revered. And that adds a little bit of weight to this good-natured doc.
If you’re a fan of Roseanne Roseannadanna or any of Radner’s other memorable characters, you’ll enjoy this up close and personal look at her life and work. It isn’t an all-encompassing biography, but it’s a sweet (and often funny) tribute to a comic legend.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.
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Kristin Dreyer Kramer has been writing in some form or another (usually when she was supposed to be doing something else) since the ripe old age of ten—when she, her cousin, and their two Cabbage Patch Dolls formed the Poo Authors’ Club. After a short career in advertising, Kristin got sick of always saying nice things about stuff that didn’t deserve it—so now she spends her days criticizing things, and she’s much happier for it.
Since creating NightsAndWeekends.com in February of 2002, Kristin has spent her life surrounded by piles and piles of books and movies—so many that her office has become a kind of entertainment obstacle course.
As if her writing and editing responsibilities for N&W.com weren’t enough to keep her out of trouble, Kristin also hosts a number of weekly radio shows: Reel Discovery, Shelf Discovery, and On the Marquee. She’s also a proud member of the Broadcast Film Critics Association (CriticsChoice.com), the Central Ohio Film Critics Association (COFCA.org), the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS.org), and the Women Film Critics Circle (WFCC.Wordpress.com).
Kristin lives in Columbus, Ohio, with her husband, Paul, and their daughter, Anna. She welcomes questions, comments, and fan mail at kdk@nightsandweekends.com.