He’s a Lucky Man

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I seem endlessly drawn to documentaries about broken, emotionally-damaged men (gee, why would THAT be?) and I just finished watching something which might top them all: Gilbert.

I first learned about this movie a couple of months ago, and the post’s title, This Looks Great….Can’t Wait hints at my feelings about it based on nothing more than the trailer. I’m not normally inclined to pay to see stuff, but in this case, I cheerfully paid the $3.99 to YouTube to watch the documentary, and it exceeded my best expectations. For one thing, it’s jam-packed with other comics……..

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Far more important, though, is the humanity that shows through in this documentary. Gilbert Gottfried has clearly got a lot of mental issues going on. I’m certain he would be diagnosed as “on the spectrum” (probably QUITE far along!), and he’s incredibly socially awkward. Around 1996, a woman named Dara Kravitz started dating Gilbert. A decade later, she was pregnant, so they got married, and they’ve been married ever since then, now with a boy and a girl.

It is plainly evident that Dara is a godsend to Gilbert. I can’t imagine anyone else who could be better for him. Gilbert grew up surrounded by sisters, a doting mother, and a distant father, so it makes sense that he needs a lot of positive female attention.

For those who think Gilbert is nothing more than the loud, raspy-voiced caricature, you’re in for a big surprise. In his normal life, he’s a shy, quiet homebody who surprisingly (more to himself than anyone else) is a loving father and devoted husband. He has tremendous trouble expressing emotions, and as the famous Aflac debacle proved in 2011, he doesn’t filter himself. And yet it is very hard to dislike the man.

I absolutely loved this documentary, and I urge you to check it out. It’s brilliantly edited, the music is marvelous, and you’ll find yourself choked up much more than you might have guessed. Superb!