Review of American: The Bill Hicks Story (2010) by Jordan G — 31 Mar 2014

Many people have never heard of Bill Hicks, which is a shame. He is easily among the greatest stand up comics who have ever lived, rising to fame during the great comedy boom of the 80's and 90s. He is known for mixing serious political and philosophical ideas into his act that paved the way for many comics to imitate after his death.

Comics like Lewis Black, Denis Leary, Russel Brand, and Ron White have stated that they were directly influenced by Bill. This documentary takes us through the life of Bill Hicks, told by friends and family members.

He started doing comedy at age 15 in humble beginnings. Raised in a conservative, baptist home in Austin, Texas, Bill would sneak out at night to perform comedy at a local nightclub. After graduating high school, Bill moved to Hollywood and started his career.

The rest of his life would be him finding his voice, dealing with alcohol and drug addiction, and always finding material that he deemed entertaining and worth hearing in a American society he was increasingly becoming more bitter about.

He used the stage as a platform to offer new ideas and insights into the minds of a massive audience. This documentary is never boring, captures some of his best acts, and sheds light on a story about how one of America's greatest free-speaker and free-thinker left his mark on the world in the short life span of 32.