It Takes a Lunatic

2019

2 hr. 0 min.

Documentary

Biography

Drama

List

Reviews

80%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

A look at the life and career of acting teacher and co-founder/director of the American Place Theater, Wynn Handman.

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Audience Member

This film brings to life an engaging story about theater, community, and NYC by sharing Wynn Handman's decades-long career promoting experimental theater and the voices of playwrights and actors who had been excluded by both commercial and non-for-profit theaters. Although his legacy lives on in famous actors like Denzel Washington, Sigourney Weaver, Richard Gere, and Faye Dunaway, the film reminds us that small, eclectic endeavors like The American Place Theater wove the fabric of NYC and American culture before they became dominated by mega-franchises offering us the same old, self-serving stories.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/21/23

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Audience Member

Art for art's sake. This is a a story about a vital force in American theater history. I was very moved by this documentary.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

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Audience Member

Increíble la historia y vida de Wynn Handman, un hombre entregado de cuerpo y alma al teatro que, aun, le da un soplo renovador al teatro de New York y del mundo.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/24/23

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Billy Lyons

Director

Alec Baldwin

Actor

Michael Douglas

Actor

Richard Gere

Actor

Connie Britton

Actor

Susan Lucci

Actor

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Carla Hay

Culture Mix

By putting [Wynn] Handman on such a high pedestal, the documentary feels like it was made by a star-struck fan instead of a more objective filmmaker.

Jul 11, 2020

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John Serba

Decider

The film never captures a true sense of the man and his passion.

Oct 29, 2019

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Betty Jo Tucker

ReelTalk Movie Reviews

Wynn Handman is the master here, revealed on screen for us to cheer. Such great respect this man has earned. And I'm inspired by what I learned.

Oct 27, 2019

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Chuck Foster

Film Threat

Handman's legacy will last as long as his students continue to grace the screens we watch. Every expression, inflection, and movement has been touched by this madman who simply strives to make our lives a little better through the performing arts.

Rated: 10/10

May 9, 2019

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Synopsis

A look at the life and career of acting teacher and co-founder/director of the American Place Theater, Wynn Handman.

Director: Billy Lyons
Executive Producer: David B. Ford, Pamela Ford, Kelly Gonda, Lou Gonda
Production Co: Exemplar Productions
Genre: Documentary, Biography, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 25, 2019

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