The laughter and the tears of “Tig”

Cinema | July 29th, 2015

Kristina Goolsby and Ashley York’s documentary “Tig” is a warmhearted paean to the gifted comic whose own health struggles and personal losses led to the now legendary August 3, 2012 show at L.A.’s Largo. Tig Notaro opened with a declaration of her breast cancer diagnosis and proceeded to deliver a confessional shot into the heart of darkness. In her essay on the events of that night, Kira Hesser wrote, “…for the first time in my life, as far as I can recall, I genuinely laughed and cried at the exact same time, bewildered at the tragedy and the remarkably calm, clever prism through which [Notaro] assessed her terrible set of circumstances.”

Online, the accounts of Notaro’s performance sparked intense interest, and Goolsby and York attempt to explain the surreal atmosphere via graphics of the tweets made by Ed Helms, Bill Burr and Louis C.K., who wrote, “In 27 years doing this, I’ve seen a handful of truly great, masterful standup sets. One was Tig Notaro last night at Largo.” Notaro, who provides intimate access to the filmmakers (Goolsby is a longtime close friend), also tries to make some sense out of the reaction, but neither she nor the moviemakers can fully articulate the flashpoint that, in the midst of crisis, instantly transformed Notaro’s career.

“Tig” is not, strictly speaking, about the Largo set. Goolsby and York instead use the cumulative roadblocks and setbacks faced by Notaro prior to and following that night – the potentially fatal Clostridium difficile infection that hospitalized Notaro, the death of Notaro’s mother, a breakup, the cancer revelation – to say something less expected about the comedian’s ongoing personal and professional journey. Dylan Matthews points out that “Tig” is not about the “well-crafted public persona” but rather a look at an “actual person, flung into an unbearably difficult situation.” You get the feeling that the filmmakers could have included any number of earnest tributes from Notaro’s contemporaries (Sarah Silverman and Zach Galifianakis appear, but not as talking heads), and consciously chose another route.

Fans of standup won’t need to be convinced to seek out “Tig,” even though the latter sections of the movie focus less on Notaro’s brilliant comedy and more on two key developments in Notaro’s life: her relationship with Stephanie Allynne and her decision to risk her health by fertilizing eggs in the pursuit of motherhood. Even so, it is mildly frustrating that so few of Notaro’s professional accomplishments are placed in the foreground. We catch just a glimpse behind the scenes of the Professor Blastoff podcast, and we witness preparations for the anniversary show at Largo, for which all new material is being prepared.

When “Tig” does invite the viewer to witness some of Notaro’s powerful public performances, the movie lights up. A section of Notaro’s hysterical Taylor Dayne routine leaves you wanting more, and in a clip from her April 17, 2013 appearance on “Conan,” she makes a perfectly timed phone call to Allynne on-air just as she and O’Brien discuss the importance of being present. Unfortunately, Notaro’s even more famous “Stool Movement” bit does not appear in the documentary. One thing Goolsby and York successfully communicate is Notaro’s work ethic, sharing the self-doubt that comes naturally to comics, and especially to comics expected to follow something groundbreaking with another seemingly impossible lightning strike. You get the feeling, though, that Tig Notaro is equipped to do just that.

“Tig” is currently available on Netflix instant watch.

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