It’s been a rough stretch in the comedy world over the past several years as several legendary comedians have passed away. However, Gilbert Gottfried’s passing was particularly rough as the New York native had been a part of so many people’s childhoods thanks to his iconic voice roles in Aladdin, Superman, and other animated series. While best known for his controversial humor, Gottfried was a loving father and family man. This dichotomy, and a look at the real human that was often overlooked due to his boisterous stage character, is at the center of the Gilbert Blu-ray, which is a wonderful home release for the 2017 documentary.
“Gilbert Gottfried rose to fame in the 1980s thanks to his brash stand-up act and personality. Now, after decades of flying solo in both his work and in his personal life, Gilbert has shockingly reinvented himself as a family man,” reads the synopsis for the documentary.
Gottfried rarely peeled back the curtain into his personal life, which makes the access that Gilbert got really special. We see some wonderful scenes with his lovely wife Dana, his older sister, and his two young children. It’s so wonderful to see what a loving father the comedian was and how gentle he could be with them. There are great pictures and clips from the past, including some incredible photos of a young Gottfried who was very into yoga, that really add to the experience and can occasionally be a gut punch given his death as I teared up several times.
Director Neil Berkeley does a great job of balancing a look at both Gottfried’s personal and professional lives, giving a great overview of both. Career-wise, it really underlines how important Gottfried was to comedy as he was never afraid to demonstrate that nothing was off limits in the world of comedy, which is something that is more relevant than ever before. There are some great scenes from his podcast as well, including a discussion about aging with Dick Van Dyke. A who’s who of comedy shows up and discusses Gottfried’s career, such as Jim Gaffigan, Dave Attell, Bill Burr, Lewis Black, and many others.
One great thing about the Gilbert Blu-ray is that it comes with a lot of incredible bonus features. The crown jewel is a commentary track with the director, Gilbert, and his wife. Getting to hear Gottfried reflect on the film and his own career, all while cracking some great jokes, is a real treat and a reason to pick this up. On top of that, there are a number of deleted scenes showing off his life on the road, his family celebrating Halloween while he’s working, an extended scene with Dick Van Dyke, and more. There’s some wonderful stuff here and it makes it all the more clear that we’ve lost a great comedic voice and a fantastic human as well.
Gilbert Blu-ray Review: The final verdict
The Gilbert Blu-ray is an easy recommendation if you’re a fan of his acting or his comedy. It’s not only a great look at the man behind the brash persona, but it really underlines his personal and professional legacy as well. Berkeley did a wonderful job with the documentary and I’m so glad that the film came out and Gottfried got to get his flowers while he was still alive.
Disclosure: ComingSoon received the product from the publisher for our Gilbert Blu-ray review.