George Carlin’s American Dream

Matt Roush says...

If only George Carlin were with us today, aiming his withering gaze and his nimble wordplay at society’s extremes, from QAnon to cancel culture. The great comedian, who died in 2008, remains relevant, as directors Judd Apatow and Michael Bonfigilo reveal in a fascinating and entertaining, deeply personal two-part documentary profile with vintage performance clips and interviews. American Dream tracks Carlin’s evolution from a tie-wearing stand-up star on 1960s variety shows—his “hippy dippy weatherman” providing a clue to where he was headed—to the counterculture iconoclast whose “Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television” created a sensation in the 1970s. Repeatedly reinventing himself to adapt to changing times, Carlin developed his most enduring persona as a fearless sage, speaking truth to hypocrisy. With daughter Kelly providing candid memories of his battle with drugs and his brother Patrick (since deceased) shining profane light on Carlin’s childhood and career, this special (concluding Saturday) is not to be missed.