Movie Review
Two-part documentary STEVE! shows the many facets of Steve Martin
Steve Martin in STEVE! (Martin) a documentary in two pieces.
Not many people have been able to reinvent themselves as seemingly easily as Steve Martin has. Arguably the premier comedian of the late 1970s, he walked away from his unique version of stand-up comedy to become a movie star, a title he earned for almost 30 years. Along the way, he also became an acclaimed playwright, banjo player, and art collector, and now in his seventies, he’s returned to his first love alongside fellow comedian Martin Short.
Given the multitude of titles he’s held over the years, it should come as no surprise that the new Apple TV+ documentary about him, STEVE! (Martin) a documentary in two pieces, is not one film but two. The first, subtitled Then, is about his showbiz beginnings in the 1960s and his ascent to stardom in the mid-1970s. Anyone who has read Martin’s stellar 2007 memoir, Born Standing Up, will be familiar with much of the details, but they still remain fascinating.
Using a variety of clips and original animation to illustrate Martin’s history, director Morgan Neville (Won’t You Be My Neighbor?) takes the audience on a trip through Martin’s highlights. These include his first job as a magician at Disneyland, working for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour, dating the daughter of blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo, hosting Saturday Night Live, and more. For those not well-versed in Martin’s history, the film does an effective job at showing just how unusual Martin’s comedy was, and how big of a celebrity he became.
With Martin appearing in old clips and via a voiceover, it’s not immediately apparent that the first film features no actual footage filmed by Neville. Everything shown is either archival or animated, with Martin and interviewees like Jerry Seinfeld, Lorne Michaels, Martin’s collaborator John McEuen, and Martin’s sister Melinda Dobbs only speaking via audio clips. The film is no less engrossing because of this decision, and demonstrates an understanding on Neville’s part that no embellishment is needed for this part of the story.
It’s in the second part, Now, that the modern-day Martin makes his first on-camera appearance, and there’s an immediate difference, with the first scene showing him making breakfast in his kitchen setting the tone. While many of his movies – like Three Amigos, Planes, Trains & Automobiles, L.A. Story, and Father of the Bride – are brought up, it’s less a celebration of his great work and more a wistful reflection on the remarkable life he’s led by Martin.
Neville does include short clips of sit-down interviews with luminaries like Michaels, Tina Fey, Eric Idle, and Diane Keaton, but the two most notable celebrity appearances are a one-on-one conversation between Martin and Seinfeld, and multiple scenes showing the day-to-day friendship between Martin and Short. The comic duo, who have been touring together since 2014, are shown going biking, working on their stage show, and more, demonstrating the deep affection the two have for each other.
So much has happened in Martin’s life that Neville doesn’t even have time for his music efforts, including with his band, the Steep Canyon Rangers, or his collaborations with Edie Brickell, the latter of which resulted in the Tony-nominated musical, Bright Star. Time is made for Martin’s late-in-life family, including his wife, Anne Stringfield, and his daughter, who is hilariously kept off camera by being represented by a stick figure.
The second part also shows Martin taking on yet-another title, as he collaborates with cartoonist/illustrator Harry Bliss on a book featuring comic strips with anecdotes about Martin’s many movies. With Martin also currently starring in the hit Hulu show Only Murders in the Building alongside Short and Selena Gomez, it seems that his ability to reinvent himself knows no bounds.
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STEVE! (Martin) a documentary in two pieces is now streaming on Apple TV+.
