Bitter Jester (2003)

BITTER JESTER is the first documentary to give us a glimpse into the real process behind the comedy we watch in clubs, on television and at the movies. Through the eyes of comedienne Maija ... See full summary »

Director:

Maija Di Giorgio

Writers:

Maija Di Giorgio, David Burton Levin

Stars:

Maija Di Giorgio, Kenneth Simmons, Richard Belzer

Cast

Credited cast:
Maija Di Giorgio	...	Herself
Kenneth Simmons	...	Himself (As Kenneth R. Simmons) (as Kenneth R. Sim)
Richard Belzer	...	Himself
George Carlin	...	Himself
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Herself
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Joy Behar	...	Herself
Peter Boyle	...	Himself
Chevy Chase	...	Himself
Norm Crosby	...	Himself
Jody Del Giorno	...	Himself
Phyllis Diller	...	Herself
Gilbert Gottfried	...	Himself
D.L. Hughley	...	Himself
Dom Irrera	...	Himself
Kevin James	...	Himself

Storyline

BITTER JESTER is the first documentary to give us a glimpse into the real process behind the comedy we watch in clubs, on television and at the movies. Through the eyes of comedienne Maija DiGiorgio, we take a guided tour of the comedy business at its rawest. Behind the jokes and smiles, Maija reveals the sneering jealousy and backbiting, the self loathing and inflated egos that define most comedians. She allows us to witness a side of stand-up comedy we rarely see, from young comics unable to get stage time to comedy superstars musing on their own failures. Over the course of nearly two years, Maija documents her own roller coaster career in stand-up comedy, starting with the self-inflicted crash of her career at the Aspen comedy festival and following her failed attempts to rebuild her reputation. This extraordinarily bizarre and entertaining journey takes her back and forth across the country several times as she seeks the insight and wisdom of fellow comics. Original, spontaneous ...

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Taglines:

Comedy, the tragedy.

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Genres:

Documentary | Adventure | Comedy | Romance

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Details

Official Sites:

official website

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

26 February 2003 (USA)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Bitter Jester Productions, McBelz Enterprises, Panacea Entertainment

Technical Specs

Color:

Color

Did You Know?

Connections

References Comedian (2002)

User Reviews

Illuminating, if Uneven Tragicomedy

Noteworthy for so many reasons, (not the least of which being a heartbreaking cameo from Richard Pryor,) Bitter Jester ostensibly delves into the highs and lows of struggling along the comedy circuit. Beautiful and outrageously talented Maija experiences a crisis of conscience

and seeks to find center again by making a documentary of (in roughly this

order) her youth, parents, rise on the comedy scene, implosion on said scene, psychotherapy, meeting her homicidal boyfriend, using his contacts to talk to other comedians about their experiences, feuding with Jerry Seinfeld, cross

country trips, her boyfriends potential gay lover, etc. Needless to say, it feels a bit scattered. But amidst the clutter, there is a beautiful film in here. If only the filmmakers had been able to polish and edit the material down and stick to the heart of the issue. The access they had to notable comedians (and comediennes) is staggering

and worth watching for that reason alone. And Maija's journey from shattered

ego to eventual rebirth is inspiring for any artist. It is mostly Ken Simmons that seems to derail this particular train, physically, emotionally, verbally. The man is a juggernaut, barreling through life like the minotaur. Admirable in its way, I mean, he is the reason we even get to see

Richard Pryor in all his decimated glory, but truly the film spends to much time dealing with him, his ego, and his exploits. Inspiring if a little flawed, Bitter Jester is a film you must see if you are an aspiring comedian, an artist, or just a caring, feeling human being.