Screening: Saturday, May 2, 9:30pm
Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait
Running Time: 106 minutes
Bobcat Goldthwait and Barry Crimmins will attend the Q&A!
Synopsis: An inspiring, triumphant and wickedly funny portrait of one of comedy’s most enigmatic and important figures, Call Me Lucky tells the story of Barry Crimmins, a beer-swilling, politically outspoken and whip-smart comic whose efforts in the ’70s and ’80s fostered the talents of the next generation of stand-up comedians. But beneath Crimmins’ gruff, hard-drinking, curmudgeonly persona lay an undercurrent of rage stemming from his long-suppressed and horrific abuse as a child – a rage that eventually found its way out of the comedy clubs and television shows and into the political arena. Featuring intimate interviews with both comedians and activists alike, director Bobcat Goldthwait’s (World’s Greatest Dad, God Bless America, Willow Creek) Call Me Lucky bravely tells Crimmins’ incredible story of transformation from a rage-fueled funnyman into an acclaimed proponent of justice who personified the healing power of comedy.
What the Critics Are Saying:
“Bobcat Goldthwait’s documentary about an underappreciated comedic mentor packs an unexpected wallop.”
-Dennis Harvey, Variety
“Call Me Lucky is not only a wonderful piece of documentary filmmaking, but an act of substantial bravery as well.”
Dominick Mayer, Consequence of Sound
The Chicago Critics Film Festival 