Pee-wee as Himself

Matt Roush says...

Separating the artist from their art is especially tricky when, like the late Paul Reubens, the creator hides within his fabulous creation, adopting it as an alter ego. Filmmaker Matt Wolf rises to the challenge in a revealing, rewarding two-part documentary profile of Reubens (airing in one night), culling from 40-plus hours of on-camera interviews before his unexpected death at 70 in 2023. The film presents its subject as droll, witty and playfully combative, while creating a portrait of an entertainer who as a child was mesmerized by early children’s TV (Howdy Doody, Captain Kangaroo) and said, “I wanted to jump into my TV and live in that world.” He got his wish with the classic Pee-wee’s Playhouse, a joyride that was derailed when he was arrested in 1991 in an adult movie theater and lost his anonymity. (See the full review.)

What's Worth Watching (May 23)