Marty, Life is Short is a must-watch for those who love Martin Short, known for everything from Saturday Night Live to, more recently, Only Murders In The Building. The documentary, only an hour and a half or so in length, comes fresh off a variety of successful documentaries covering other core figures in the rise of US/Canadian comedy in the 1980s, such as STEVE! (Martin) a documentary in 2 pieces, and Lorne (which covers the rise of Lorne Michaels). It covers everything from how he met his wife, Nancy Dolman, to his reflections on how he’s managed to stay relevant for such a long career and his friendships with the likes of Steve Martin.
As a fan of his work and also someone who finds the time around the early years of his career fascinating, I found it to be a really beautiful reflection of his career. Director Lawrence Kasdan uses a combination of newly recorded talking heads and older footage to portray the story of an incredibly positive man who has become a beloved figure in the comedy scene, despite regularly enduring the deaths of family members in the formative stages of his career (and in later life). It features a wealth of stars throughout all reflecting on their friendships with him, including the likes of Eugene Levy, Tom Hanks, John Mulaney, and Steven Spielberg.
If anything, it’s a testament to how beloved Short is when such an incredible line-up of stars is willing to talk about how much they love you. The style of documentary, I think, really helps with this. By including clips of Short in the present chatting to the camera, it helps to humanise him alongside his friends’ reflections and clips of his career.
There are lots of really fun stories to unpack from Marty, Life is Short, with so many different important moments to cover in his career. It even had me once again drawn to the story of just how many stars the legendary 1972 Toronto production of Godspell contained, such as Levy, Gilda Radner, Paul Shaffer, Victor Garber, Andrea Martin and of course, Short. It’s hard to imagine any other production that features a cast that went on to such successful things. I also really enjoyed hearing about Short’s time with Second City, the famous improvisation group. At first, he didn’t feel like he wanted to be involved as he ‘didn’t want to be funny on demand’ but later joined anyway (and arguably got him hired by Saturday Night Live).
The film also serves as a beautiful tribute to Dolman, who sadly passed away in 2010 from cancer. They got married in 1980, and there’s a long, dedicated section towards her in the latter half of the film that explains what an incredible person she was. It’s clear from the home footage that Martin and Nancy loved each other so deeply, and I’m glad that they included such a key figure of Short’s life as much as they did, as it really helps explain who he is. They say the people around you are a reflection of yourself after all.
If you’re a fan of Martin Short, this documentary is a must-watch. It’s available on Netflix and is well worth your time. It successfully humanises and celebrates the beloved actor and comedian throughout, and, more importantly, triumphantly explains why he’s such a beloved figure by fans and stars alike. It also made me want to get an invite to a Martin Short Christmas Party, fingers crossed.
★★★★★
On Netflix now / Martin Short, Steve Martin, Eugene Levy, Catherine O’Hara, Tom Hanks, Steven Spielberg, John Mulaney / Dir: Lawrence Kasdan / Netflix
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