Blu-ray Review: American: The Bill Hicks Story

The Film

Bill Hicks might not have the same name recognition as comics like George Carlin or Richard Pryor, but you’d probably have little trouble finding someone to categorize him right alongside them. A revered presence in the world of stand-up comedy, Hicks died at only 32 from pancreatic cancer, cementing his status as a cult favorite who hardly had the chance to break into the public consciousness.

American: The Bill Hicks Story, directed by British filmmakers Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas — Hicks had far more success while alive in the UK than the U.S. — is long on biographical information, but a little short on insight. As such, it’s not a bad introduction for those mostly or totally unfamiliar with Hicks, but dedicated fans might be less enamored. Although for a particular kind of dedicated fan — one who worships the ground Hicks walked on — the film might actually be perfect, as it often treats him with the same reverential awe.

The film’s problems with objectivity aside, it’s a technical muddle inflamed by the filmmakers’ desire to jazz up the talking head format. The film is chiefly comprised of interviews from Hicks’ mother and siblings and many of his friends and contemporaries, including Dwight Slade, Kevin Booth and Jimmy Pineapple, but we rarely see any of the interviewees.

Instead, their memories act as narration for the film’s animated photograph style, in which images of Hicks and others are cut out and placed in three-dimensional spaces, similar to the film The Kid Stays in the Picture. A little of this technique goes a long way, and while I wouldn’t have minded the occasional interlude, its pervasiveness is rather exhausting.

Despite my complaints, American still allows the rancorous charm of Hicks to come through, and the film is truly at its best when showcasing Hicks’ material, whether from his early days as a clean-cut Woody Allen-style comic in Houston to his later brand of belligerent political and social commentary, as seen in specials like Sane Man and HBO’s One Night Stand.

Curiously, although the film certainly hints at controversy, it never really addresses it, completely omitting any mention of Denis Leary’s alleged joke-stealing and just mentioning in passing Hicks’ final Letterman appearance that was cut before it aired.

While American: The Bill Hicks Story gave me a better understanding of his background, it didn’t really grow my appreciation of his work. To that end, simply popping in one of his specials seems like the best route.

Article Author: Dusty Somers

Dusty Somers hails from Seattle, and is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma with a B.A. in journalism. He is a member of the Online Film Critics Society.

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