‘Love, Gilda’ is an Intimate Look at a Comedy Icon

Your favorite Saturday Night Live cast is often the one you grew up watching. As a child of the ’90s, I have a strong connection with the Phil Hartman years. My mind was blown by “Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer,” I know the “Toonces the Driving Cat” theme song by heart, and strongly believe Steve Martin’s “Not Gonna Phone it in Tonight” is the greatest cold open in show history. Gilda Radner is the exception to SNL’s nostalgia trap. One of the original “Not Ready for Prime Time Players” and the first person cast on the iconic series, Radner is one of the most influential cast members in Saturday Night Live history. If you’ve ever had the pleasure of watching Radner perform, you’re a fan, regardless of age.

Back in 2017, Joe Reid and I asked an array of comedy writers to talk about the TV episodes that influenced them the most. Playing House phenom Jessica St. Clair spoke about her admiration for Radner’s comedy. “Gilda had a way of capturing the secret weirdo that lives in all us,” St. Clair wrote. “Her humor was kind — you could tell she truly loved all her characters. There wasn’t a detached ironic bone in her body and because she truly lost herself in the characters, it gave you, the audience, the permission to lose yourself in them too.”

To watch Gilda Radner is to love Gilda Radner. If you didn’t have the chance to watch the comedian during her time on SNL, Love, Gilda, the absorbing 2018 documentary about the life and career of the beloved performer, is now streaming on Hulu.

Directed by Lisa D’Apolito, Love, Gilda is a kaleidoscopic exploration of Radner’s life that’s both affectingly poignant and explosively hilarious. Through a mix of recently discovered audiotapes, rare home movies, and intimate diary entries, Radner, who passed away in 1989 after a battle with ovarian cancer, personally guides viewers through the story of her life with an assist from those who knew her best (Lorne Michaels, Martin Short, Laraine Newman, Paul Shaffer, and many more). While the wide-ranging film commemorates Radner’s comedy career, it doesn’t shy away from the complexities of Gilda as a person, delving into her struggles with personal relationships, fame, depression, and bulimia.

Love, Gilda stays with you long after viewing. It’s easy to believe that a person as revered as Radner, someone who was once considered America’s sweetheart, lived a charmed life, but the film does a wonderful job of detailing the personal intricacies that separate Radner the comedian from Radner the person. It’s a messy, unadulterated glimpse into the soul of a true trailblazer that, much like life itself, toggles between whimsical and heartbreaking. The doc offers a trove of behind-the-scenes info for comedy fans, including how living in and coping with New York helped inspire the character of Roseanne Roseannadanna.

One of the most impressive aspects of Love, Gilda is that it can be enjoyed by both people who’ve never heard of Gilda Radner and long-time fans of the venerable performer. Yes, it’s an obvious must-stream for comedy fans, but it’s also a touching exploration of the indomitable human spirit.

Where to stream Love, Gilda