A Valentine to Comedy's Sweetheart

Love, Gilda: a documentary by Lisa D'Apolito (2018, 87 min.)

A recent news story broke my heart.  As Gilda's Club, a nationwide support community for people with cancer, celebrated its 25th Anniversary, a number of chapters announced a name change.  Many boards of directors felt that the name of the organization should make it clear that its focus is on cancer, but the most devastating reason - and probably the most honest - was given by the Madison,Wisconsin chapter: Their members did not know who she was, particularly the younger ones.

For those of you who have no idea, or a vague one, of who Gilda Radner was, do yourself a favor; scour the streaming services for the early episodes of SNL (called "Saturday Night" when it first started in 1975), and binge watch her brilliance.  (Female co-stars, Jane Curtain and Laraine Newman were no slouches either.)

For the rest of us, Lisa D'Apolito's taut documentary, Love, Gilda, uses Radner's own diaries, home movies, and audio and video recordings to tell the story of an insecure chubby kid from Detroit who grew up to be comedy's sweetheart.  There is no fairy tale here, and that is D'Apolito's focus.  She doesn't gloss over Gilda's eating disorder, drug use, and ovarian cancer.  It is far from a pity party, though.  Gilda's honesty about her life and her bravery in the face of a deadly disease make you miss her all the more.  Even though you know the end, you root for her to overcome it all and you cheer when she finds the love of her life, comic actor Gene Wilder.   

Love, Gilda is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

(😊😊😊😊  out of five Smilies)