A short documentary on Patton Oswalt, “To Be Loved & Understood”

The folks at Thrash Lab released a short documentary today about comedian Patton Oswalt. It’s directed by Julien Nitzberg (The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia).

If the visual of audience members at the Irvine Improv eating food wasn’t enough of a visual for you to feast upon in the opening seconds, then let Oswalt himself attempt to lower your expectations, telling Nitzberg in so many words upfront that a stand-up comedian’s day isn’t quite as wild nor wonderful, nor as “dynamic visually” as he may be hoping for. “It feels like you’re trying to create way more movement and excitement than actually exists in a comedian’s day,” Oswalt says.

It’s also very self-aware. This documentary knows it’s a documentary and is not afraid to point that out.

Is Patton Oswalt a voice for the nerds? A voice for the upper-middle-class set of Orange County? Both? Everyone?

Don’t worry, though. This is still worth your time. Ten minutes of your time on the clock, please. Roll it!

Sean L. McCarthy

Editor and publisher since 2007, when he was named New York's Funniest Reporter. Former newspaper reporter at the New York Daily News, Boston Herald and smaller dailies and community papers across America. Loves comedy so much he founded this site.

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