Remembering Gene Wilder doesn’t deviate from the usual talking-head format that most documentaries utilize. Nor does it need to.
Approaching documentaries about beloved movie stars with a critical eye can be challenging. If the film delves too deeply into the actor’s personal life, it risks being seen as invasive. Conversely, if it avoids such details, it may come across as overly flattering. Remembering Gene Wilder, directed by Ron Frank, tends towards the latter, portraying the actor in an almost angelic light. Yet, despite this, I didn’t come away with the impression of Wilder’s perfection; rather, I sensed that some of the more tantalizing details had been omitted.
Narrated by Gene Wilder himself through audio excerpts from his autobiography “Kiss Me Like a Stranger,” and complemented by interviews with past co-stars, relatives, and friends, Remembering Gene Wilder chronicles his journey from Broadway to his passing in 2016. The narrative does illuminate his humble beginnings in Milwaukee, yet it primarily centers on the dreadful counsel Wilder received as a young Jerome Silberman. He was told by a doctor to avoid arguments with his mother because of her heart condition, leading him to suppress his anger. It wasn’t until he found acting that he had an outlet for his pent-up emotions.
The film unfolds in vignette-style segments, chronicling Wilder’s journey from his breakout roles in The Producers and Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory to his iconic collaborations with Mel Brooks on Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein. It features captivating anecdotes from Mel Brooks, notably one about the memorable ‘Putting on the Ritz’ scene in Young Frankenstein, which was a rare moment of disagreement between them. The movie transitions into the late 1970s, showcasing Wilder’s initial collaboration with Richard Pryor in Silver Streak, and his triple role as writer, director, and lead actor in The World’s Greatest Lover.
The film’s latter portion explores Wilder’s personal life and the twilight of his career. Meeting Gilda Radner during the filming of 1982’s Hanky Panky marked a turning point in his love life, leading to their marriage. (Strangely, the film omits any mention of his first two wives, Mary Mercer and Mary Joan Schutz.) Radner’s ovarian cancer diagnosis in 1985 had a profound impact on Wilder, prompting him to become a cancer treatment advocate. Following Radner’s death in 1989, Wilder’s film career gradually came to a halt. However, his collaboration with Richard Pryor in 1989’s See No Evil, Hear No Evil led to him meeting his fourth wife. Ultimately, Wilder retired from acting to focus on painting and authoring books.
Remembering Gene Wilder doesn’t deviate from the usual talking-head format that most documentaries utilize. Nor does it need to. It’s simple and direct much like the man about which it tells its story. While it may not delve into any of the dark elements of Wilder’s life, if there are any, it serves as a fitting tribute to a man who brought so many people laughter through his body of work. And that’s really all it needed to do.
3.5 out of 5.0 stars
