When I was a kid, I was vaguely familiar with the work of Steve Martin. The SNL years he was a part of were a little before my time. His films The Jerk and Pennies From Heaven were ones I hadn’t caught up to until later in life. It was his late 80s and early 90s work that caught my eye. Roxanne, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, Little Shop of Horrors, Three Amigos, Parenthood, and Father of the Bride were some amazingly funny films with him in the lead. I loved his kind of deadpan humor. He was more than just a movie star in the documentary Steve! (Martin): A Documentary In Two Pieces suggests.

This film separated into two parts puts this comedic legend’s life into separate parts as well. The first half of the documentary talks about his family life, which wasn’t the best, and his early career working at Disneyland handing out flyers. He watched an act during his free time, and this helped him hone his own act in years to come. Things like balloon animals, playing the banjo, and magic tricks all became part of Steve’s stand-up routine.  These were the things that helped him stand out on stage. Nobody was doing such quirky odd material.

There was a lot of archival footage of his life growing up as a child. Photos, family videos, and footage of him doing his early stand-up routine.  When he had black hair and not his now signature Grey hair, He toured all over the country doing carnivals, opening for music acts like the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band and other famous singers in the 60s and 70s. Chance’s encounters with Elvis Presley and other celebrities taught him valuable lessons he would use in the next stage of his career.

The first part of the documentary was mainly narrated by Steve Martin so the people watching knew that what they were seeing came directly from him personally. That helped the audience define who this man was during the early days of his life and career. He states that if he didn’t make it in show business by the time he was thirty he’d give up and get a real job. Thank goodness he made it by that age. Stints hosting and being a part of SNL were key in launching him into the stardom he so desperately needed to continue his career. The world benefited from this.

The second part of the documentary was structured a bit differently than the first part which ages the whole thing that much better. Morgan Neville, the filmmaker famous for Won’t You Be My Neighbor,  20 Feet From Stardom, and They’ll Love Me When I’m Dead is a successful documentarian. He created a great narrative for this film splitting it into two parts. The distinctive nature of the two halls was very interesting.  I loved how they both focused on different aspects of this famous comedian’s life.

Using various interview styles helped the second part be different from the first part. Interviews with comedian Jerry Seinfeld,  and other podcasters took the question-and-answer portion out of the director’s hands. These interviews allowed for various points of inquiry into this man’s private life, his family, and his career. These were very informative for me as a person not as familiar with his life as maybe others were. I learned a lot about this man. His privacy is important to him even though he’s such a huge celebrity.

Martin jokes in the film about how he has a resurgence in his career with getting Only Murders in the Building in his seventies. He was originally just going to write on the hit sitcom before being convinced to co-star in it opposite Selina Gomez and his frequent friend and collaborator ever since Martin Short. It’s given him a whole new outlook on life and his career. He gotten new energy which allowed him to start back up his stand up career with his buddy Martin Short.

Two things this man started to do to get his story out to the public besides this film were telling his story in book form and animation. These allowed him to be more free in his emotions and tell how he felt about his life. Narrative forms like these are helpful in getting the story you want people to see out. They were very effective in telling his story. His wife and child can be proud of the man they are a part of as husband and father. This man can and should be proud of everybody who is a fan of his work and all those he made laugh over the years. This documentary shows how important he was to the world as a comedian,  actor and generally great all around wild and crazy guy!

5 stars 

Dan Skip Allen