4th Annual MLFF: LOVE, GILDA – The Review

One of my favorite films at the Mammoth Lakes Film Festival was LOVE, GILDA. Not only did it do an amazing job at capturing her spirit, but it is incredibly relatable… especially if you (like me) have ever fought an intense disease or illness.

In her own words, comedienne Gilda Radner looks back and reflects on her life and career. Weaving together recently discovered audiotapes, interviews with her friends, rare home movies and diaries read by modern-day comediennes inspired by Gilda (Amy Poehler, Maya Rudolph, Martin Short, Bill Hader and Cecily Strong), Love, Gilda offers a unique window into the honest and whimsical world of a beloved performer whose greatest role was sharing her story.

Produced and Directed by Lisa D’Apolito, LOVE, GILDA leaves viewers with an incredibly positive way to look at life… with laughter. Reading from her own words, Poehler, Rudolph, Hader, Strong and more learn more about one of their biggest inspirations. We learn about Radner’s feelings about herself, her weight, her rise to fame, romances and her battle with cancer through her own tapes.

It starts in the 1950’s, with home movies of a young Radner and her family. She describes her relationship with her father and mother, and the impacts that they had on her. She is quite candid, talking about the death of her father, and her mothers’ thoughts on her weight – including the time she gave Radner diet pills.

It’s apparent, instantly, in the home videos that Radner has an energy that is larger than life. We learn about her relationship with food due to an eating disorder and watch as she seamlessly rises to fame due to her electric personality and impeccable sense of humor.  During this time she also went through a lot of boyfriends, including those that she worked with. The good news is that all of them seemed to remain friends, judging by the tone of the doc.

Behind all of the fame lived someone who was unhappy. Radner was her own worst critic. She was constantly looking for love and acceptance. She later found a life full of love with actor Gene Wilder. The film touches on her yearning to have a child, which was hindered by suddenly learning that she had ovarian cancer.

One thing that I love about this film is Radners’ positive spirit as she fought this disease. Throughout her battle, she constantly tried to make people laugh. Her goal was to make cancer funny. Normally, a diagnosis like this would be enough to destroy someone’s spirit. Nor Radner. She was more worried about others, and living life to the fullest. During her struggle, Wilder was by her side. Their love for each other is inspiring.

Throughout the film, Radners’ courage and positive attitude shine through even the darkest of moments. LOVE, GILDA is sure to make audiences laugh and cry.

OVERALL RATING: 5 out of 5

For More Information: http://lovegilda.com

Or For The Mammoth Lakes Film Festival: https://www.mammothlakesfilmfestival.com