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American: The Bill Hicks Story

Play trailer Poster for American: The Bill Hicks Story Released Apr 8, 2011 1h 46m Documentary Play Trailer Watchlist
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83% Tomatometer 60 Reviews 86% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
This biographical documentary about stand-up comic Bill Hicks uses a photo-animation technique to tell the story of his rise to fame. Through archival material, footage of his routines and interviews with the people who knew him -- including filmmaker Kevin Booth, childhood friend and comedian Dwight Slade and members of his family -- we discover how Hicks emerged from his Southern Baptist upbringing to become one of the most famous performers in America.
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American: The Bill Hicks Story

American: The Bill Hicks Story

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Critics Consensus

A treasure trove of archival material and interviews, American: The Bill Hicks Story is an exuberant celebration about a unique, sorely missed voice in comedy.

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Critics Reviews

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James Bell Sight & Sound The film gets as close to Hicks the man as we can hope for, and he emerges as an even more courageous, visionary figure as a result. Mar 13, 2017 Full Review Joe Williams St. Louis Post-Dispatch Directors Matt Harlock and Paul Thomas work wonders with the old photos, animating and enhancing them to simulate Hicks' excellent adventure. Rated: 2.5/4 Jul 8, 2011 Full Review Rob Humanick Slant Magazine It's greatness as a documentary is debatable, but as a eulogy, it's damn near unparalleled. Jun 26, 2011 Full Review Stuart McGurk NME (New Musical Express) We learn about the years it took Hicks to find his voice, his battle with alcohol, his experiments with drugs, how we in the UK took him to our hearts more than America ever did. Rated: 3/5 May 19, 2021 Full Review Richard Propes TheIndependentCritic.com About 1/3 of the way through, however, the stage footage becomes more prevalent and the animation gives way to a stronger emphasis on narration and Hicks himself. Rated: 3.5/4.0 Sep 2, 2020 Full Review David Harris Spectrum Culture A serviceable, rather surface-deep look at the man many considered one of the best comedians of the 20th century. Rated: 3/5 Nov 6, 2019 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Audience Member Depressing. This is an important artifact to assist with any discussion of the myth of Bill Hicks and danger in comedy. When Hicks was performing, it was still dangerous to do abortion jokes on Letterman, and his act got cut.* People censoring his work was ultimately a motivator. Could Hicks be Hicks if he wasn't considered controversial at the time? Hicks gets me asking myself questions; Was it more dangerous for him to do comedy then, or now? Was the network censoring him evil, or was it the motivating factor behind all his comedy? If Bill Hicks got his world of peace and love, would someone like him really be happy? He practically lived to turn his nose down at waffle house waitresses to prove he was smarter than them! Even Hicks admitted he would succumb to commercialization if he got to sell something like Aloe, so, he didn't want everyone to kill themselves, really, but how would those messages hang in the air of today's depressed society? I still love Bill Hicks even though time has given me some perspective on his work. He was the first comedian I ever saw Live............through Denis Leary ;) *His act would now be cut for his documented appreciation of very young girls and homophobia, and probably still for the abortion jokes, too. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member Interesting, but not as entertaining as you'd hope considering the subject Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/29/20 Full Review Audience Member A documentary (not a stand-up performance) on the life of comedian Bill Hicks. Unaware of Hicks myself, I randomly chose to watch this doc and learned about the late Mr. Hicks, from his meteoric rise at only fourteen to his battles with alcohol and smoking, and ultimately his death from cancer at far too young an age (33). From watching this, I wouldn't say I found his comedy especially funny, but what it showed me was that Bill Hicks had transcended beyond comedy. I would have been a fan, not of his stand-up acts, but of his determined stance on all things meaningful in this life. He had the knowledge and charisma to lock horns with anybody, and it would have been nice to see his spoken opinions on today's tumultuous topics, from politics to media sensationalism. I wouldn't have agreed with him fully, but he had a powerful way of getting his message across. I wish I knew more about Bill Hicks. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Bill Hicks was as overrated as Sam Kinison, and so is this film. Rated 1 out of 5 stars 01/23/23 Full Review Audience Member Pays an amazing homage to the best comedian I've ever heard Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/21/23 Full Review Audience Member Three years ago, I discovered a different, more mature side to comedy. I grew up with the likes of Harry Hill and Lee Evans, material that really made me laugh, but never focused on a point that raised my attention. Obviously at the age of sixteen, I was finding out about more adult topics, like politics, history and war. Serious subjects don't necessarily don't mix with stand up comedy, but Bill Hicks managed to combine the two expertly, becoming an inspiration with his anarchistic presence, rebelling against a system he sought to fix. Hicks' life is put into perspective through animation of images of his personal and stage life (Not that they were ever seperate), with narration from his family and friends. It completely advances what seems like a simple documentary, and creates a rollercoaster of dark, emotional, often hilarious stories and events that shaped the "Little Dark Poet" into one of the most important stand up comedians of all time. Bill is presented as an American hero, shouting his voice to an audience gripped onto his every word about problems they want to hear. Problems that were relevant to the current culture. Problems that other stand up comedians would never speak about in fear they would lose their job. Bill was fearless, and this made him more popular with audiences. His life seems to me to be much more of a sad tale. A tragedy to a man who was taken too fast from life. Even when his material seemed bitter and full of anger, Bill did in fact have a love for life, and that is essentially what the documentary is showing. His family and friends loved him for being so honest, caring and most importantly, different. Bill is one of my many inspirations in life, and rightly so. The film is an access to learn and understand the life of a man who was more than just a stand up comedian. He was a voice of righteousness, for generations then, now and for the future. An incredible insight to a wonderful man who was cut short from a world he adored and hated at the same time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews
American: The Bill Hicks Story

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis This biographical documentary about stand-up comic Bill Hicks uses a photo-animation technique to tell the story of his rise to fame. Through archival material, footage of his routines and interviews with the people who knew him -- including filmmaker Kevin Booth, childhood friend and comedian Dwight Slade and members of his family -- we discover how Hicks emerged from his Southern Baptist upbringing to become one of the most famous performers in America.
Director
Matt Harlock, Paul Thomas
Producer
Matt Harlock, Paul Thomas
Distributor
Variance Films
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 8, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Aug 15, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA)
$90.3K
Runtime
1h 46m
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