“I didn’t think Jerry Silverman had the right ring to it. I wanted to be … wilder.” So began the career of much-loved Gene Wilder, actor, comedian, writer and filmmaker.
Ron Frank’s loving tribute to Wilder is executive produced by Wilder’s friends, Leonard Nimoy’s wife, Julie Nimoy, and her husband, David Knight, who also collaborated on producing “Remembering Leonard Nimoy.” Frank, a fan of Wilder since seeing his performance in the bravely comedic satire, “Blazing Saddles” (1974), does a fabulous job of directing and editing. The film seamlessly flows with multiple clips, interviews, and, surprisingly, Wilder’s own voice narrating.
Wilder wrote his autobiography, “Kiss Me Like a Stranger: My Search for Love and Art” (2005) and recorded the audiobook for it. Frank used this narration throughout “Remembering Gene Wilder” with powerful effect and included heartfelt interviews with his wife, Karen Boyer (m. 1991).
Wilder was beloved by colleagues, friends and audiences, and this tribute film is, first of all, a work of art dedicated to a revered friend. It begins with an oft-repeated story of how Wilder became such a funny guy. As the story goes, Wilder’s mother was early diagnosed with a potentially fatal disease, rheumatic fever. The doctor told her young son, “Don’t ever argue with your mother. Make her laugh.” A comedian was born, and Wilder began his practice of funny faces and slapstick antics that eventually catapulted him into the lead of the iconic “Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory” (1971).
I remember Wilder because he married Gilda Radner, the hilarious, boundary-breaking comedienne on “Saturday Night Live.” Gilda married Wilder in 1984 but was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 1986. I read her book, “It’s Always Something,” about her excruciating battle.
After her death, Wilder helped found the Gilda Radner Ovarian Cancer Detection Center and co-founded Gilda’s Club (now known as Cancer Pathways), a support group for families affected by cancer. One of the offshoots of GG is Camp Sparkle, a one-week summer camp that provides support for kids who have had a parent who has died from cancer. This I also know about since my step-grandchildren have attended it during the summers since the death of their father in 2021 from brain cancer.
So, it is also with a sense of a special loss that I appreciate this loving tribute to a man who chose to lift up and bring joy and comfort to the world through his art and charity.
Credits
Director: Ron Frank
Writer: Glenn Kirschbaum
Executive Producers: Julie Nimoy and David Knight
Editor: Ron Frank
Featuring: Gene Wilder, Mel Brooks, Karen, Boyer, Rochelle Pierce, Carol Kane, Ban Mankiewicz, Harry Connick Jr., Peter Ostrum, Alan Alda, Rain Pryor and others
Wide Release: March 2024
Website and how to view: https://kinolorber.com/film/remembering-gene-wilder
. . .
Join us on Facebook at
http://www.facebook.com/itsjustmovies!