Three close celebrity friends, all comics, departed suddenly within a year of one another. America's favorite, filthy-mouthed dad Bob Saget, the unforgettably shrill sounding Gilbert Gottfried and funnyman Norm MacDonald who was fired from SNL for NOT being funny. That's my opinion. However, being open minded, I wanted to take another look at MacDonald's craft-standing on stage in front of an open mic intending to make people laugh. The people MacDonald seemed to consistently crack-up were fellow comedians who touted his style as ingenious with his dead pan delivery that left audiences wondering if Norm was serious or just kidding. It would seem one had to be as clever as professional comics to appreciate the humor in being made the butt of the joke for not being in on the joke. After watching the rambling I still didn't find MacDonald funny like his appreciate pals Adam Sandler, David Letterman, Jim Carrey, Conan O'Brien, Kevin Nealon and David Spade. There's a lot to be said for watching comics cracking up other comics and I found this humor infectious. But, despite these delightful segments and Judd Apatow's know-how, the documentary felt like drudgery. There was no hah hah there there. Canadian born MacDonald never went to college because he never graduated high school. He's claim to fame is his 4 years on SNL hosting the news segment. During his reign on SNL, O.J. Simpson was found guilty of murder. For those of us who lived in LA through the trial of Simpson for the double murders of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman, we know first-hand the exculpation of Simpson caused a color divide over his not guilty verdict. MacDonald maintains his jokes blatant finding Simpson guilty were culpable of firing because of close friendship a top NBC exec. had with Simpson. The simpering MacDonald irritated me with his self-pity and whiney voice which I find more caterwauling than Gottfried's. MacDonald maintain he never married in the doc. but has a son from a "relationship." This "relationship"was an 11 year marriage to Connie Vallacourt (1988-1999). His parental love for son, Dylan, is apparent. The funniest sketch in the film included a scene between Norm and Dylan. Dylan is seen eating cereal while watching TV. Norm asks him "Don you have homework? Yep. Don't You have to get started? Yep." Dylan perfected the same dead pan response as his dad in this relatable, comical scenario. Dylan is a handsome clone of his father whose startling good looks were ingratiating early on in his career. The footage shows Norm in his late 50s early 60s bloated and moonfaced. Perhaps, this was due to medical treatment he was receiving for a leukemia diagnosis he kept private from the public. It's sad watching footage of MacDonald, Saget and Gottfried as all passed in their early 60s; way too young. Overall, I found NORM: The TALE of NORM MacDONALD doleful and the laughter was sorely missing.
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