It is remarkable
how many successful comedians come from tragic loss and a traumatic past, but
not nearly as amazing as what comedian Barry Crimmins used this pain to
accomplish, on and off stage. Call Me
Lucky gently allows this narrative to unfold, never forcing or exploiting
the material. Director Bobcat Goldthwait appears briefly among many other
comedians to tell his own personal connection to Crimmins, but his handling of
the subject is always distanced and respectful, never contrived or emotionally manipulative.
Although there
are several famous comedians willing to offer up random stories about the
subject, a large portion of the film simply contains Crimmins himself. Whether
it is footage from his stand-up routines, footage of him today, or his
talking-head storytelling for this film, Crimmins provides the narrative better
than anyone else. This is especially true when it gets to the subject of his
traumatic childhood, which he openly discussed onstage.
This childhood
abuse is what also led Crimmins into a fight with AOL in the 1990s after
discovering they were turning a blind eye to offenders sharing child
pornography online. He turned his rage most notably seen in his standup
routines into the political arena, proving himself an intelligent and
articulate advocate for victims. These accomplishments are nearly overshadowed
by the sight of Crimmins returning to the place of his childhood trauma for
this film. This isn’t just a movie about pain, however. It is more a film about
the ways that pain can shape us, and what it did in Crimmins life.
The Blu-ray
release includes a commentary track with Goldthwait and Crimmins, as well as a
trailer for the film. I can’t say that this is a film that needs to be seen in
high definition, or that the Blu-ray offers anything exclusive. I would
definitely recommend Call Me Lucky,
but DVD will probably suffice.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 8.5/10
Historical
Significance: 6/10
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