I’ve been a fan of William Shatner ever since I can remember.  Probably from watching him on Star Trek. I saw the show in reruns because I wasn’t alive when it first aired on CBS in the 60s. I saw the films he was in when I was a kid and a young man. The Wrath of Khan and The Undiscovered Country were my two favorite films with the original cast. Shatner played James T Kirk but this was just a small part of his life. In You Can Call Me Bill the filmmaker and Shatner explore more of his life.

This documentary explores the existential way of thinking this man has. He is a man who has thought deeply about like, animals, plant life, and the stars. What we see on television isn’t everything this man represents.  His youth gave him the ability to become an actor but his fame gave him the ability to go to the stars with Jeff Besos on his Blue Rocket. Studying Shakespeare and Checkov allowed him time to think about the craft he is a part of that being Hollywood. He is a well-oiled man in a lot of ways.

The documentary explored his past growing up and his relationship with his father whom he loved deeply and his mother, not mom, whom he can’t understand why people call their mother’s mom. Through photos and archival footage, the film showed glimpses into this man’s youth and upbringing in Montreal Canada where he’s from. He seemed to grow up quite normally.  He enjoyed acting and playing sports which would provide a quandary in years to come. That of being part of two different worlds. That’s the theme of this film.

Another quandary he has is trying to make people laugh. He found this a difficult thing. He was a bit of a comedian in his older life. Stand-up shows and roles on sitcoms gave him the opportunity to flex his comedic muscles. That didn’t change the fact that he still had a rough time with audiences regarding his comedic nature. He was mainly thought of as a dramatic actor in Star Trek appearances on The Twilight Zone and roles in dramatic films like The Outrage. He balanced these two worlds nicely in his career.

The documentary uses chapters to discuss the different phases in Shatner’s life. Chapter 1: Love Death & Horses, about his love for nature and his age, Chapter 2: Masks, about the various masks he has to put on in his career, Chapter 3: Boldly Go aging,  and exploring whats out in the cosmos, Chapter 4: Loneliness, about being by himself without a loved one or family, Chapter 5: So Fragile So Blue, Epilogue: I want to be a tree about the planet and how he loves the planet so much but how it’s in danger. Being a tree is his way of going back to a planet that has given so much to him and us.

Shatner has a way of talking that has become one of the most popular impersonations in recent memory’s people like Kevin Pollock and many others mimic Shatner’s slow cadence when his characters are in tough situations. He changes back to normal talk when everything is okay once again. This is called Shatnary. This type of speech inclination.  People have been making fun of his voice for decades now but he doesn’t see he has any problems with his speech. That adds a funnier element to this whole thing. He just goes with it though.

You Can Call Me Bill is an exploration through the life of the now 93-years-old William Shatner. His thoughts on acting, drama versus comedy. His meanderings about nature, animals, trees, and the cosmos. The film is mainly about him talking with interspersed archival footage and photos from his youth and his career. Shows like Star Trek and The Twilight Zone are used quite often to prove his points. Shatner is a fascinating man who had a lot of smart ideas and thoughts. This film showed that very eloquently and very thoughtfully. This was a very fun and entertaining exploration of this famous man’s life and how he thinks of himself.

4 stars

Dan Skip Allen