For his first documentary, director Bobcat Goldthwait chose to profile the a man whom he met as an “angry teenager” and who is still one of his dearest friends. Call Me Lucky originally started out as a narrative, but it was his best friend, Robin Williams who suggested it be a documentary.

Through interviews with fellow comedians, activists and friends, Barry Crimmins’ life story unravels slowly. He’s a comedian’s comedian having run a comedy club and cultivated many talents through hard work and a genuine passion as well as influencing a number of other comedians through his own stand up.

The other side to Barry is his activism, but I’ll let you discover more on that by watching the film. In the commentary, Barry states, “Politics don’t mean shit if they’re not in your personal life.” A statement like this doesn’t leave room for interpretation and that sums up the activist as well as the comedian.

This may be about a comedian and is often quite funny, but it’s also got a very heavy element that cannot be ignored. There are several great stories that not only give you insight into Crimmins’ life, but also that period of time in comedy as well. Told in a delicate yet unapologetic way, Goldthwait handles every scene with care.

This is an absolute must for the fans of David Cross, Patton Oswalt, Stephen Wright or Marc Maron, but everyone will relate to Barry’s story and can respect his passionate activism.

Available today to buy on DVD, Bluray and VOD.