Sam Kinison: Why Did We Laugh?

Sam Kinison was brilliant. He was not vulgar, nor was he obscene. Rather, he used X-Rated material and verbiage to express comedic commentary on a variety of topics. And the funny thing about it was that he told the truth. He was superb at it. And that's why we laughed. This film won awards for "best direction" and "best documentary" and deservedly so. Larry Carroll did a commendable job interweaving live performances with peer commentary and narrative. Beverly D'Angelo and Richard Pryor are particularly effective with brother Bill Kinison as Executive Producer and partial host. This is an insightful film of a man who finally found his place and "let it rip".

His comedy came from the heart and so was authentically funny. Don't get hung up on the language, get into the idea of laughing at the human frailties and contradictions we live with yet never acknowledge openly. The early material shown in contrast to his HBO specials shows the growth of his "comedic genius" as his brother (the narrator) states. The clips of his preaching show where his energy originated. If you once deeply believed in something, you are able (as Sam did) to skewer it most effectively. Sadly, the hidden irony of the movie is that DNA testing shows that Sam apparently fathered a child with the wife of one of the primary storytellers (Carl LeBove, his "best friend") but this is nowhere mentioned.

It' s a pleasant enough overview of the man and his career, but skips out on some detail in the attempts for brevity. There were other specials that they could have pulled material from, but it's mostly from one. For a coles notes of him, this works, but further investigation is warranted at this comedy legend.

From " Move to Where the Food is!" to his reasoning why Jesus could not be married, Kinison left me wanting more. He made us laugh because somehow...some way he joked about situations that happen... happened... in our lives from a unique perspective. This movie is good, especially for his old fans, and for anyone just discovering his work now that was not born by 1980. This movie gave me some closure and wanting more. Things like the closing song refrain " He Wore a Big Overcoat " have me asking :"How did I miss that song until 2023?". Looking now for that song... who wrote it?, etc. The song pivots from losing Sam Kinison to remembering Sam Kinison. Why did I laugh? Because his take on things rang true...

most of the comedy footage was from Sam's famous HBO debut. Which we all know rocked. However, Sam had other performances! and they didn't even TOUCH Sam's notorious relationship with Jessica Hahn. Also, the extreme close ups of the celebrities are not necessary. i still give it a 8 out of 10 for the touching ending.