Film review: Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution

(Left to right) Judy Gold, Marsha Warfield, Sandra Bernhard and Lily Tomlin are among the queer comedians interviewed in Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution.

Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution (M, 100 mins) Streaming on Netflix

Directed by Page Hurwitz

Big names in comedy Sandra Bernhard, Margaret Cho, Eddie Izzard, Rosie O’Donnell, Wanda Sykes and Lily Tomlin talk candidly about their long roads to feeling comfortable being out in public, all having used comedy to not only tell their stories but also shed light on what it means to be gay.

Turns out Page Hurwitz, whose films are all about long, troubled journeys with good outcomes, has given not only an insight into LGBTQI+ humour and what it took for queer comics to swim against the tide, but also a fascinating slice of Western social history over the past 40 years.

Along with the aforementioned six big names, Hurwitz invited 16 less well-known queer, including some trans, comics to Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre, to participate in an event reminiscent of Pride festivals: flamboyant costuming, over-the-top makeup, cross-dressing and an appreciative, celebratory audience.

She filmed the event and wove in historic clips and interviews to show how painful it was for older comics to be heckled and blacklisted, shunned by their families and marginalised, but also how they battled on, creating a thriving LGBTQIA+ comedy scene.

Anti-gay crusader Anita Bryant appears, along with the stand-ups’ reaction to her and anti-gay slurs during the Aids crisis.

Some of the almost-too-explicit skits from the 80s give the film its M rating.

Balancing the desire to hold onto one’s career, while also being true to oneself has been an ongoing dilemma.

Even for more courageous gay comics, it has mostly been a risky ride.

Subversion in comedy is rampant; laughter cuts through anti-gay prejudice.

Vaudeville footage from the 1920s shows Moms Mabley, out and proud in a tux, unwittingly becoming a role model for generations of stand-ups.

She was just being herself, which was particularly difficult for stand-ups in the years during and after anti-gay US Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy and Aids.

Comedy from the closet was, by definition, muted.

Other role models and mentors are shown due respect, with Tomlin being regarded by many of the performers as a major inspiration.

Social commentary is provided in part by clips of Anita Bryant, Ronald Reagan emphasising family values, Eddie Murphy’s homophobic insults – for which he has subsequently apologised – and Bill Clinton stamping his name on the “Don’t ask, don’t tell” policy for the military.

One of the funniest moments in this hugely entertaining documentary is when Ellen DeGeneres, appearing on The Rosie O’Donnell Show, jokingly comes out as “Lebanese” and O’Donnell plays along, suggesting she too might be Lebanese, along with half of Hollywood.

Poignantly, Todd Glass recalls how he repeatedly referred on stage to his girlfriend, never contemplating coming out, until a heart attack landed him in hospital. His boyfriend visited but, given their closeted relationship, could only covertly put a flower under his pillow, a gesture that convinced Glass it was time to come out.

Plenty here to inspire a new generation of LGBTQIA+ comics, thought-provoking and highly entertaining for the mature general public.

★★★★