User reviews

I was too young to watch Gilda live on SNL. But she's an iconic comedic performer, and this moving and funny documentary does a great job of showing you why. It captures the humor and the strength in her spirit and doesn't shy away from the messiness and pain in her life. Funny but sad and ultimately inspiring.

I wanted to see and know more of the strange little girl and the young television sensation than this film shows. It did much better when it got it got to the mature woman, finding the love of her life, but instead of children and growing old together, it was him caring for her in sickness and early death. I'm sure there are many others like me who have not thought of Gilda in a long time because her end was so sad. I needed this reminder of what she gave us.

Gilda's story and that of Fran Dresher have many similarities. Both were the most benign of people, wanting only to bring cheer to others. Both were subjected to so much senseless suffering and loss from illnesses science has not yet conquered as to prove that there is no benevolent God in control.

GRADE: B-

THIS FILM IS RECOMMENDED.

IN BRIEF: A flawed but loving portrait of a iconic comedienne.

JIM'S REVIEW: Love, Gilda is just that: a cinematic love letter to a wonderful comedienne who died too soon. To those of us who fondly remember her comic performances on Saturday Night Live with characters such as nerdy Lisa Loopner, sweet Emily Litella, opinionated Roseanne Rosannadanna, and Miss Barbara Wawa, the film becomes a sweet remembrance of things past. To the younger set, this documentary will serve as an introduction to a great talent.

A Second City alumni before making it big on Saturday Night Live, Gilda's story essentially follows the artist vs. personal demons route. Moviegoers learn about her childhood and battle with eating disorders, numerous romantic relations, depression, and her final battle with ovarian cancer.

Former SNL performers Maya Rudolph, Amy Poehler and Melissa McCarthy appear in the movie and poignantly read excerpts from Ms. Radner's journals and her autobiography, It's Always Something, making the film quite moving. Comments by her friends show her effect on those around her.

Director Lisa D'Apolito assembles interviews with friends, family, and colleagues, plus the comedian's own words to piece together her life. Yet, some areas remain unclear and need more focus. The use of grainy out-of-focus archival footage doesn't help matters either. Her marriage to Gene Wilder is glossed over a bit as are her early marriage and health issues. One also would have like to see longer snippets of her comedy routines and her unique blend of physical pratfalls to counteract some of the tragic goings-on. After all, they are the reasons for her fame and success.

Still, that vivacious personality and winning smile shines through. Love, Gilda may be a slightly flawed biography, but it does reflect a star that shone her light upon the world and gave us hope and laughter even when she had none.

With "Love, Gilda," Lisa D'Apolito creates an intimate portrait that doesn't sensationalize or romanticize her subject. I love how the film interweaves Gilda's letters, diary entries, archival footage of her childhood and career, and filmed interviews. It's really a love letter to Gilda!

A heartfelt, honest look into a human who inspired countless women in comedy, and more than a few men as well, to shine their truth on life's foibles. You cheer for Gilda during this documentary, you relate to Gilda in this story of her life, and in the end, you're thankful for Gilda leaving this planet a better place than it was thanks to her having lived in it ... what a legacy. Cheers to you Ms. Radner, you comedic whirlwind of truth. Please do yourself a favor everyone and see this documentary!

Lisa Dapolito's touching Documentary on SNL pioneer Gilda Radner. In many ways a typical Bio-Doc (talking heads interspersed with clips), what makes it special is that Radner left behind a treasure trove of tape recordings and personal writings that reveal her inner thoughts (the tapes were largely done for her autobiography, It's Always Something, which was released posthumously). Radner is extremely honest in those documents and provides intimate details of her entire life*.

The collection of interviews here is representative enough including her brother Michael. Most of the others have an SNL connection including cast members Laraine Newman and Chevy Chase (who, speaks mostly about himself) and writers such as Anne Beatts, Rosie Shuster and Alan Zweibel. They all provide some nice details and insights. Less successful are the cameos by present day SNL alumni such as Maya Rudolph and Bill Hader who mostly just fawn over her memory. What carries the Doc is Gilda herself - both in the film and TV clips, as well as her testimony via her trove of documents.

LOVE, GILDA can't help but be bittersweet. The tragedy of such a meteoric talent passing away at 42 can't be gotten around, no matter how sprightly the archival footage may be (her entire recorded career lasted but a decade). Radner's battle with disease inspired many (with clinics across the country still named in her honor), so her legacy remains.

* One noticeable exception in the documentary is that very few details are shared about her boyfriends and ex-husband (musician G.E. Smith) before marrying Gene Wilder. Martin Short shares some of his recollections during their relationship during their tenures with Second City Toronto. Presumably, Dapolito chose not to disclose much in that area out of deference to Radner and Wilder, but, it is a glaring omission in an otherwise honest portrayal.

A lovely tribute to someone who died too young and only had a brief chance to do her thing. I don't know if this would make anyone new become a fan, but for anyone that remembers her from SNL, it would be well worth a watch.

Based too much on her own autobiography and diaries, without any major insights from the (very few) people who were interviewed. Gilda Radner was indeed a very talented comedian and a very interesting personality and I feel the documentary just touches the surface of that by recycling what we already know about her.

"Love Gilda" allows us to step into Gilda Radner's private world with Gilda as our guide. What a treasure to hear Gilda's voice as she narrates her journey from chubby childhood to beloved comedian, and shows us how she used her playful humor to defend, delight, distract, and develop - A joy to watch.

A film for remembered Gilda Radner and for those for are discovering her comedic genius.

Most of the movie shows archived videos of performances she was part of or picture. It mentions some meaningful happenings in her life without providing enough room to give some depth and explorations. Behind this video lies an interesting story of an inspiring woman that is worth telling But didn't get an appropriate treatment in this video.

A delightful loving home movie and joyous loving soeaking from her own diaries splendid enjoyable catching and embracing every facet of Gilda and her life. A great show on all levels! All the audience laughing, a unique brave, and beautiful life. Dont hesitate to see it!

Touching, heart-warming, funny, and inspirational. The entire audience was so moved, laughing and clapping together. Truly a must-see.

Great documentary. Gilda was lovely and it was wonderful to watch her shine. She brought so much to the comedy world. What a soul. I highly recommend giving this a watch.

Love, Gilda is an incredibly heartwarming and engaging story that entertained me thoroughly as well as educated me. When I sat down to watch it, I did not expect to like it nearly as much as I did. I was thoroughly impressed with how they portrayed Gilda, how they managed to hold your attention and how they tell a story that made me laugh, cry and relate. While I watching, I felt as though, even though I had never met her, Gilda was a friend of mine.

Love, Gilda documents the life of comedian and actress Gilda Radner from her childhood, to her time on Saturday Night Live, to her health struggles towards the later part of her life. It chronicles the exciting and disheartening parts of her life, shows interviews with the current Saturday Night Live cast and includes snippets from her personal diary to illustrate how she felt about the events that occurred.

Something about this film that really stands out to me is how smoothly the storyline and plot flows. Documentaries, especially biographies, tend to give the audience too many irrelevant and unnecessary details that make it so difficult to sit through them and pay attention. But this film has an exceptional way of making me feel like a friend is talking and relating to me, instead of telling me something. It feels authentic and real. It feels as though Gilda herself is talking to me, which I partially accredit to her diary entries. I felt her pain. I felt her happiness. I laughed at her jokes. One part that really stands out is the scene in the hospital when she is being treated. Without giving too much away, that part really inspired me and left me with a happy feeling, even though it is a very sad scene.

This is an exceptional movie. I give it 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 10 to 18, as well as adults. Some of the subject matter in the film are a little mature and difficult to deal with. However, I really think that, even though there are many scenes that can be considered depressing, Gilda Radner had such an incredible outlook on life and she didn't feel sorry for or pity herself ever. Therefore, I never felt depressed. Love, Gilda tugged on my heartstrings, but also made me laugh. I am impressed with every aspect of it and I was entertained the whole way through.

Reviewed by Ella L., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic. For more reviews by youth, visit kidsfirst dot org.

A loving portrait of one of the great SNL comedians, "Love, Gilda" was a personal eye-opener. Outside of a few characters, I knew *of* her and this was a welcome history lesson.

Most surprising is her admission of reticence, a personality trait uncharacteristic of her outlandish stage presence. And I was absolutely unprepared for her cancer diagnosis. Her determination during this period is invigorating, and this is where the eyes get misty.

A crucial supporting character in this story is Gene Wilder, whose positive influence on her life is pure chicken soup for the soul (a trite description, I know, but it just fits). Gene is good people.

This film is moving in the best possible sense, befitting such a luminous human being.

This is a wonderful film. It shows the Gilda we loved on SNL and the real Gilda we never saw. It will literally make you laugh and make you cry. Don't miss it.

LOVE, GILDA (2018)

Like many in my generation who grew up watching the first golden seasons of Saturday Night Live, comedic genius Gilda Radner was IT for me. She was a loveable, gifted and guileless comedienne; effervescent, intelligent, unpredictable, kind, vulnerable, versitile, pretty, and humble. Love, Gilda, a documentary on her life, generously shares these attractive Gilda qualities with us. It is pure joy, with poignant hearbreak at the end.

The Not Ready For Prime Time Players, (many who came from the comedy improv club Second City, and some who had gone on to National Lampoon's radio program), have presence in this film.

As Gilda developed on SNL, she had an aptitude for developing likeable, flawed characters such as Emily Litella, Lisa Loopner, Roseanne Roseanadanna, Judy Miller, Candy Slice, Baba Wawa, and more. What a gift to reunite with them and their creator in Love, Gilda through show outtakes, home movies, audio tapes narrated by Gilda, diary outtakes, and interviews with friends.

Part of this film is a light, joyous look back on Gilda's life in which she began performing as a chubby young girl. The boyant blush of the comedy rush was evidently early; she grew up to become a bold, honest, outspoken risk taker.

In 1985, Radner had chronic fatigue and suffered from pain in her upper legs on a movie set in the UK. She sought medical treatment for ten months; various doctors in Los Angeles, gave her several wrong diagnoses. This was during her marriage to fellow comedienne, soul-mate, Gene Wilder, who Gilda loved the smell of. In 1986, Radner was diagnosed with stage IV ovarian cancer; this was shocking news for a healthy woman, who finally found her love, Gene.

I felt badly for Gilda at this stage in her life. When I read her autobiography back in the 80's, I remember learning she got hooked up with people who may have meant well; but went overboard and indoctrinated her into thinking the, "As you think and believe, so shall it be," dogma. It seemed as though she felt like a failure because she couldn't pray, visualize, or "create" a cure for for cancer through her thinking; she and others blamed her for not "manifesting" a miracle. Gilda's "Answer to Cancer: Healing the Body with Mind and Heart" program sprang from this and provides ongoing support for many.

Before her death, Radner said, "If it wasn't for the downside, having cancer would be the best thing and everyone would want it." Following her death, her husband Gene Wilder said, "That might be true, if it wasn't for the downside."

Love, Gilda is really captured everything very very well, from happy to sad, added again with Radner real voice through the film really really makes Love, Gilda heartwarming yet heartbreaking too, it makes you smile, it makes you happy, it makes you sad, it makes you cry, life was sucks, she's gone too soon but it's the best for her.

I don't really know Gilda before I watched this, now I feel I do know her. It is a comprehensive review of her life. What's more impressive is that it is based on her writings, and contains many interviews of people around her.

This is a CNN special on the late great comedian Gilda Radner. She was the IT girl from late 70's to early 80's at the nuclear center of comedy as one of leading performers on Saturday Night Live. I know all the stuff about her career, but it is nice to recount the comedy explosion during that time.

As for the personal stuff, I didn't know that she was a chubby kid. Her eating problem only needs eyes to see. Quite frankly after SNL, I didn't see much from her. It's nice to know Gene taking care of her. It cements my feelings about both these wonderful people. It's also fun to see all the newer comedians reading her writing.