HOT DOCS 2018: Fall in Love with Gilda Radner in LOVE, GILDA

Saturday Night Live, over its forty-three year history, has propelled a slew of comedians to international stardom. Many of American comedy’s biggest names got their start on SNL, a televised behemoth that continues to turn new talented up-and-comers into stars. Before it was the comedy institution it is today, SNL was the new show on the block, a weekly variety sketch-show featuring a group of unknown underdogs as the first cast. Nobody on the show in 1975 knew if it would survive, and they certainly did not anticipate the limelight that was about to shine directly onto their faces.

Of that first cast, there were certain “Not Ready For Primetime Players” who the audience responded to more than others. Most of these were men, but there was one person that seemed to transcend the regressive gender politics of the time, breaking barriers along her way to the top — Gilda Radner. It is her life and legacy, through all its triumphant ups and vicious downs, that is celebrated by Lisa Dapolito in her new documentary, Love, Gilda.

Constructed out of mostly archival footage, Love, Gilda uses the comedienne’s own words to transport us as much as possible into her headspace at different stages of her life. With soundbites from interviews, clips from audiotapes, and the written words of her notebooks, we are given a glimpse into Radner’s thoughts and feelings through her rise to fame, body-image and health issues, and relationships. Often, Dapolito will display Radner’s handwriting on-screen, an artistic decision that is theoretically beautiful and moving, but in execution I found it a distraction as I spent most of my time just trying to read the words instead of understanding what they embody. Despite this minor grievance, it is still moving to see the handwriting of such a formidable woman, one who was taken from us by cancer far too early.

To bring the documentary into the present, interspersed within the archival footage are interviews with those who knew Gilda, either personally or through their love of her work. Though the interviews with family members and friends are helpful for providing additional context for Gilda’s story, the interviews with currently successful comedians were what I found most impactful. SNL-connected superstars like Amy Poehler, Melissa McCarthy, and Maya Rudolph were invited by Dapolito to read from Radner’s own diaries, as well as speak to their personal connection to her, especially in her impact on their work. Their love for her comes across so clearly, and it is in that mixture of reverence, sadness, and humour that Love, Gilda truly comes alive.

Radner’s story is typically told within the context of the rise of SNL, usually focusing on the hilarious characters she created or her relationships with other cast-members. While that is present here, we are also given a peek into her somewhat unusual upbringing, as well as a look into how she spent her final years with her second husband, the late Gene Wilder. Anyone who cares about the comedy world will know something about Gilda Radner, but Love, Gilda lets us see as much of the real Gilda as a posthumous biopic could, and reminds us all over again of the incredible talent and special person the world lost when she passed.

www.lovegilda.com

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcHYRrUI7w8&t=108s