Following a single turbulent year in the life of controversial trail-blazing comedienne Joan Rivers, this documentary pulls zero punches in its warts'n'all depiction of Rivers as a tough and determined, yet still insecure and vulnerable woman who can't stand the thought of retirement or no longer being relevant. Rivers opens up and lets us see the wounded humanity behind her brash persona and fiercely biting sense of say-it-like-you-see-it abrasive humor by candidly discussing the suicide of her husband Edgar, her legendary feud with Johnny Carson, strained relationship with her daughter Melissa, and, of course, her obsession with plastic surgery that ties directly in with her dread of getting older and becoming irrelevant as she ages.
Whether doing her best to endure the humiliating ordeal of a savage celebrity roast or tearing apart a heckler while performing her stand-up routine at a lesser venue in rural Wisconsin, one can't help but admire this tireless workaholic's indomitable fighting spirit as she continues to plug away since for Rivers being on stage and making people laugh (plus getting their applause and approval) was the one thing that made her entire life worth living period. And another thing about Joan Rivers is for certain: She most definitely did not go quietly into the night; instead she faced life's ups and downs with an earthy humor and steely resilient attitude that was uniquely her own.
Whether doing her best to endure the humiliating ordeal of a savage celebrity roast or tearing apart a heckler while performing her stand-up routine at a lesser venue in rural Wisconsin, one can't help but admire this tireless workaholic's indomitable fighting spirit as she continues to plug away since for Rivers being on stage and making people laugh (plus getting their applause and approval) was the one thing that made her entire life worth living period. And another thing about Joan Rivers is for certain: She most definitely did not go quietly into the night; instead she faced life's ups and downs with an earthy humor and steely resilient attitude that was uniquely her own.