Get Bruce!

You may not know Bruce Vilanch, but you've heard him on TV. As one of the industry's premier comedy writers, Vilanch "has given more lines to celebrities than a Hollywood coke dealer" -- or so quipped actor Nathan Lane. In this joyous ode to laughter as a way of life, former film trailer director Kuehn finally introduces us to this comic genius, a proudly gay man whose rotund face and eccentric appearance prompted Donny Osmond to comment that he "looked like a Muppet." In a series of interviews (and some rather phony re-creations) with Vilanch's mother and most impressive clients -- Billy, Whoopi, Robin, and Bette -- we watch Vilanch revisit past triumphs (Billy Crystal's years as Oscar host), brush off flops (Ted Danson's disastrous Friar's Roast appearance in blackface), and rail against loss with the perfect quip and a big goofy grin. It's mostly gush, but these folks give good gush, and at 72 minutes, it's a snappy and surprisingly touching portrait of the artist as a middle-aged funny man.