A new documentary entitled I’m ‘George Lucas’: A Connor Ratliff Story showcases a popular improvised talk show that began at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in New York, and the story of the actor and comedian who brought it to life. Below are my thoughts on this release.
Connor Ratliffe may be currently best known for his podcast “Dead Eyes” (named after a descriptor applied to him by Oscar-winner Tom Hanks during production of HBO’s World War II miniseries Band of Brothers), but he’s also appeared in the recent Mean Girls musical remake, voices a recurring character on FOX’s animated sitcom The Great North, and has popped up on The Marvelous Ms. Maisel, Search Party, Blacklist, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, and Orange Is the New Black. However, underground comedy fans will recognize him for an alternate persona he’s publicly inhabited for the past decade– that of legendary filmmaker (and creator of the Star Wars franchise) George Lucas. The George Lucas Talk Show debuted at UCB in February of 2014 and has since grown steadily in popularity, as documented by the new feature-length film I’m ‘George Lucas’: A Connor Ratliff Story from newcomer director Ryan Jacobi.
I’m ‘George Lucas’ follows Ratliff from the show’s beginnings through its transformation into a streaming-only offering during the COVID-19 pandemic, but it also dives into what makes the titular performer tick– even diving into his family’s small-town Missouri entertainment industry past and the speed bumps that kept Connor from hitting the big time earlier on in his career as an actor. For the monthly talk show, we see him backstage spray-painting his hair and beard gray, but other than that particular affectation he mostly makes the character of George Lucas his own– he doesn’t really dress like the media mogul (wearing a Howard the Duck crew jacket instead of Lucas’s usual flannel shirts on stage) or try to do much of an impression– “George” sounds an awful lot like Ratliff’s own voice. But the appeal here is that Connor isn’t quite poking fun at the Lucas legacy so much as he is paying surprisingly rather genuine– though decidedly tongue-in-cheek– tribute to it, as one critic points out in a talking-head interview.
Along for the ride is fellow UCB regular Griffin Newman (Disenchanted) as Watto– yes, Watto the Toydarian slave-owner from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace– and producer Patrick Cotnoir, each of whom bring their own unique talents to the show as they welcome real-life celebrity guests like Whoopi Goldberg, Kevin Smith, Seth Meyers, Bobby Moynihan, Heidi Gardner, John Hodgman, and even “Weird Al” Yankovic to trade barbs with “Lucas” himself. It’s an intriguing, fun premise for a live show, and it’s even more fascinating to see what goes into putting it all together behind the scenes. The documentary meanders a bit here and there and maybe could have been a bit shorter, but it still manages to remain charming and entertaining throughout its 90-minute runtime in a slapdash, zero-budget kind of way, kind of like The George Lucas Talk Show itself– or at least the many amusing clips of it we’re treated to here (I admittedly haven’t seen much of the show previously outside of the occasional video that will pop up on my social media feeds).
Speaking of which, this film is going to be a must-watch for any existing fans of Ratliff and friends’ improvisational stylings, but will it draw any new devotees into The George Lucas Talk Show’s orbit? I’d say so, because I went in not knowing a tremendous amount about it and after finishing the documentary I felt like Connor and I might be kindred spirits. It’s clear to me now that he holds genuine admiration and affection for Lucas’s career, and brings a wealth of knowledge (there’s an offhanded reference to the 1988 experimental non-narrative film Powaqqatsi, of all the deep Lucasfilm cuts) to the talk show that undoubtedly helps him banter with guests as though he were the real deal. There’s also a poignant moment in the movie that touches on the sometimes-toxic nature of Star Wars fans which felt like it could have been recorded today, considering the recent uproar surrounding the Disney+ series The Acolyte, and delivers a message of positivity and hope underlying a true passion for the material outside of just going for cheap laughs at George’s expense. That hit home for me in a way I wasn’t expecting, and highlighted yet another method by which Star Wars has (directly and/or indirectly) brought joy into so many people’s lives.
I’m ‘George Lucas’: A Connor Ratliff Story is available to purchase or rent via the documentary’s official website.
My grade: 3 out of 5 Watto elephant noses.