Credited cast: | |||
John Amos | ... | Self | |
Bea Arthur | ... | Self (archive footage) | |
Adrienne Barbeau | ... | Self | |
Valerie Bertinelli | ... | Self | |
Todd Bridges | ... | Self | |
Mel Brooks | ... | Self | |
George W. Bush | ... | Self (archive footage) | |
Gloria Calderon Kellett | ... | Self | |
Dick Cavett | ... | Self (archive footage) | |
George Clooney | ... | Self | |
Dabney Coleman | ... | Self | |
Keaton Nigel Cooke | ... | Young Norman | |
Father Coughlin | ... | Self (archive footage) | |
Phil Donahue | ... | Self (archive footage) | |
Jerry Falwell | ... | Self - President, Moral Majority, Inc. (archive footage) (as Rev. Jerry Falwell) |
How did a poor Jewish kid from Connecticut bring us Archie Bunker and become one of the most successful television producers ever? Norman Lear brought provocative subjects like war, poverty, and prejudice into 120 million homes every week. He proved that social change was possible through an unlikely prism: laughter. World Premiere -Opening night selection, Sundance, 2016.
I just watched this excellent film on PBS. Others have commented on the artsy look of it. I think that is what helped me to enjoy it even more. The women who created this have done an excellent job presenting a lifetime of his work and condensing it so that we also get to REALLY know the man. Norman Lear was born three years before my father, and like him a terrific American ... a WWII vet, a man with a social conscience and part of the greatest generation and unlike my Dad, he's still with us and still contributing. My Dad would have loved this program. It's a fitting tribute to one of the great founding fathers of TV. I look forward to reading his biography. This is definitely a "you should watch it" program.