Last night Michael and I attended the Newfest screening of Ricki Sterns' new documentary, "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work," which chronicles a year in the life of the irreverent comedian. It's nicely done, catching Joan in a bit of a career slump and ending with her high-profile Comedy Central roast and winning "Celebrity Apprentice." In between, we see the insanely insecure Joan fighting for any job she can get -- a commercial for the male "enhancement" pill Entenz? she's in! a 1:30 a.m. slot on QVC? whatever has to be done! -- while coming to terms with America's obsession with all things young ("Age is the one mountain you cannot overcome") and with her increasingly flaky manager, the only connection she has to the past, including her late husband. Unfettered access to Rivers revealed a surprisingly warm side of the notoriously mean comedian -- scenes of her delivering food with God's Love We Deliver and with her only grandchild are particularly nice, as is learning that she bankrolls many people's lives -- and showed an endearing vulnerability (the scene at the George Carlin event was particularly moving). Much in the way Kathy Griffin constantly portrays herself as a struggling D-lister, high atop that mansion in the Hollywood Hills, Joan too claims to need to work, as we watch her having Thanksgiving dinner for 16 in her palatial Upper East Side apartment ("The only other person who actually lives like this is the Queen of England," a friend observes), flying on private jets and reminding us that they've been sending limousines for her "since 1968." What is true is that she has a compulsive need to work, which is probably fueled as much as her relentless need to be loved as it by having nearly had it all taken away from her after her disastrous Fox series was canceled, and Johnny Carson had her virtually blacklisted.
For those who love Joan, "A Piece of Work" will make fans love her even more. And for those who can't stand her, it might help them understand what makes her tick, and hate her just a little bit less as a result. In one of my favorite scenes Joan reaches into her card catalog of every joke she's ever written and pulls one out: "Why should a woman cook? So her husband can say 'my wife makes a delicious cake' to a hooker?" Joan says, cracking herself up, as well as the audience. "And you wonder why I'm still working!"
Afterward, Michael Musto moderated a Q&A with Joan and Sterns, during which the director explained that she knew Joan because her mother -- who bears a striking resemblance to Ruth Madoff -- is friends with the comedian. It was while Joan was giggling uncontrollably while recounting how she likes to embarrass Sterns' mom by screaming out, "Ruth! Ruth! I'm over here" in tony restaurants after informing the maitre d' that "Mrs. Madoff" will be joining her for dinner that I really felt I understood why Joan's still working: she's hilarious.
Last night Michael and I attended the Newfest screening of Ricki Sterns' new documentary, "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work," which chronicles a year in the life of the irreverent comedian. It's nicely done, catching Joan in a bit of a career slump and ending with her high-profile Comedy Central roast and winning "Celebrity Apprentice." In between, we see the insanely insecure Joan fighting for any job she can get -- a commercial for the male "enhancement" pill Entenz? she's in! a 1:30 a.m. slot on QVC? whatever has to be done! -- while coming to terms with America's obsession with all things young ("Age is the one mountain you cannot overcome") and with her increasingly flaky manager, the only connection she has to the past, including her late husband. Unfettered access to Rivers revealed a surprisingly warm side of the notoriously mean comedian -- scenes of her delivering food with God's Love We Deliver and with her only grandchild are particularly nice, as is learning that she bankrolls many people's lives -- and showed an endearing vulnerability (the scene at the George Carlin event was particularly moving). Much in the way Kathy Griffin constantly portrays herself as a struggling D-lister, high atop that mansion in the Hollywood Hills, Joan too claims to need to work, as we watch her having Thanksgiving dinner for 16 in her palatial Upper East Side apartment ("The only other person who actually lives like this is the Queen of England," a friend observes), flying on private jets and reminding us that they've been sending limousines for her "since 1968." What is true is that she has a compulsive need to work, which is probably fueled as much as her relentless need to be loved as it by having nearly had it all taken away from her after her disastrous Fox series was canceled, and Johnny Carson had her virtually blacklisted.
For those who love Joan, "A Piece of Work" will make fans love her even more. And for those who can't stand her, it might help them understand what makes her tick, and hate her just a little bit less as a result. In one of my favorite scenes Joan reaches into her card catalog of every joke she's ever written and pulls one out: "Why should a woman cook? So her husband can say 'my wife makes a delicious cake' to a hooker?" Joan says, cracking herself up, as well as the audience. "And you wonder why I'm still working!"
Afterward, Michael Musto moderated a Q&A with Joan and Sterns, during which the director explained that she knew Joan because her mother -- who bears a striking resemblance to Ruth Madoff -- is friends with the comedian. It was while Joan was giggling uncontrollably while recounting how she likes to embarrass Sterns' mom by screaming out, "Ruth! Ruth! I'm over here" in tony restaurants after informing the maitre d' that "Mrs. Madoff" will be joining her for dinner that I really felt I understood why Joan's still working: she's hilarious.
4 comments:
I was listening to joan rivers yesterday on Howard stern and then lo and behold I saw her on the cbs early show the next hour! She’s such a hardworker, I really wanna see her new movie
It amazes me that people cotton to someone like her but find Perez Hilton so gross, or spend so much time hating Oprah when this vile dinosaur still roams the earth. Sorry, not a fan.
Joan rivers’ new movie is finally coming to theatres tomorrow, she’s been teasing us all week doing talk shows, and its finally here!
Thanks for telling us a bit about this movie. The only turn off for me is the way it is a limited release. It won't even be in St. Louis until June 25 only--which sucks. I can't wait to see it though...always been a fan of Joan.
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