Score: B
Director: Heidi Ewing, Rachel Grady
Cast: Norman Lear, George Clooney, John Amos
Running Time: 87 Minutes
Rated: NR
It can be easy in this so-called “Golden Age of Television” to forget our television forefathers. Which is why Norman Lear: Just Another Version of You is a thoroughly enjoyable watch. The documentary (as you might expect) covers the life and career of Norman Lear, a renowned producer, writer, and activist known for creating such iconic TV series as All in the Family, The Jeffersons, and Maude.
At 93 years old, Lear points out that when you’re as old as him, you encounter two things. First, that it’s an accomplishment you’ve even reached that age and second, that you must be inherently wise. Lear swats away these requirements but with a career as legendary as his, these “truths” are hard to ignore. Directors Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady manage to persuade their audiences that Norman is indeed deserving of his reverence, both to those familiar with his work and to younger generations. Norman Lear is a heartwarming and informative documentary but doesn’t try for much else.
Since Lear was onboard for the project, the documentary takes full advantage of archival footage that adds an authenticity and intimacy that would be unattainable otherwise. When it comes to interviews, they handily imbue the scene with context by situating the interviewee next to a screen with projected videos on it from whatever series or situation is being discussed. It may be a tad dramatic, but it helped visually organize the film. Less successful were reenactments done with a small boy representing young Lear. While clearly a stand-in for areas of his life that lacked archived footage, it felt a little too on-the-nose to work seamlessly with the rest of the film.
Still, it is clear that Ewing and Grady have great respect for Lear, and this memoir feels very much like a long love-letter to the man. Celebrities, activists, and family members offer up glowing memories that harken back to a time in television history that reflected the turmoil of its social environment. Highlighting modern issues in network television was incredibly important to Lear and has left an indelible mark on television today.
Lear’s willingness to participate is endearing whether he’s discussing past private family matters or how, at 93, he’s still trying to improve himself. Lear’s attitude towards his old age and in fact his life in general is perhaps the biggest warm-fuzzy take away from this documentary. His life philosophy is that we are all humans and we are all just versions of each other. In a country whose politics are becoming more and more polarized, it’s a philosophy that could serve our modern world as well as it did in the past one.
