CALL ME LUCKY | DOCUMENTARY REVIEW

Every art medium has its unsung heroes, those who are loved by their fellow artists but largely unknown to the general public. Musicians have Tom Waits, actors have Bob Gunton, and comedians have Barry Crimmins. The reasons why these artists never break through to the mainstream is as long as it is varied, but one aspects runs through them all – to those who know, they are idols.

In the world of comedy there is a widely held idea, more like a religious belief, that the best comedy comes from pain and misery. Pain is a common denominator amongst all of us, something we can all rally behind because it’s something we’ve all experienced, and what better way to combat that pain than by laughing at it?

Barry Crimmins, sadly, experienced more pain and misery than most, a great deal of which is explored in a new documentary directed by Bobcat Goldthwait titled CALL ME LUCKY. Perhaps that’s why he was at times gregarious and caring while at other times toxic and self-destructive.

If anyone needed to find a way to deal with his inner demons, a way that allowed him to laugh through the tears, it was Barry Crimmins. Born in a seemingly bucolic small town in New York, Barry grew up like most of his peers did, found that he enjoyed making people laugh, and turned that enjoyment into a career that found him not only becoming a stand-up comedian, but also a comedy club owner and writer. He was even part of those who helped usher in the comedy boom of the 1980s. But, even with his sharp wit, sharper tongue, and foresight, his star never rose to the heights his fellow comedians thought it should.

That’s a sad story, and if that was all CALL ME LUCKY focused on, it might be enough to base a documentary on, but that isn’t all there is to the story. Barry is also a rape survivor. According to memories that surfaced later in his life, Barry Crimmins was raped as a child by the father of his babysitter. These memories not only went on to fuel is comedy, but they also served as the fuel for a strong desire for social and political change. He has received multiple honors by various groups for his tireless work to protect children and see those who abuse them brought to justice. Sadly, his own abuser died before facing criminal charges.

CALL ME LUCKY is an exploration of humor and tragedy, how one feeds the other, and what happens to those (namely Crimmins) who bring those two opposing poles too close together. The documentary is a bit uneven in its tone, and the revelation of what happened to Barry as a child comes after a lot of awkward foreshadowing. The narrative might have been stronger had Goldthwait focused more on an aspect of Barry’s life rather than try to cover so much, because in the end it didn’t feel like it covered any of it enough. Barry Crimmins is undoubtably a funny comedian, and perhaps someday the mainstream audience will get to see his stand-up in its fullness, and not all cut up, spliced, and shoved between other pieces of footage.

Directed by Bobcat Goldthwait
Staring Barry Crimmins, Marc Maron, David Cross, Patton Oswalt

Justin Macumber
The Hollywood Outsider