Martin Short is one of the most beloved men in Hollywood. Lawrence Kasdan’s Marty, Life Is Short shows why.
Lawrence Kasdan is not a documentarian, at least not in the traditional sense. His work as writer for major crowdpleasers like The Bodyguard, Raiders of the Lost Arc, and The Empire Strikes Back and his success directing critically acclaimed dramas like Body Heat and The Big Chill have shown him to be a remarkable talent with vast scope. But his first documentary effort, the 2019 short Last Week at Ed’s, was about his favorite coffee shop. The 2022 Disney+ series Light & Magic was primarily a demonstration of his admiration for George Lucas and the team at Industrial Light & Magic. To Kasdan, documentaries are primarily an opportunity to express his adoration. Marty, Life Is Short is no exception.
Marty, Life Is Short focuses, naturally, on Martin Short. The comedian’s early success with SCTV and Saturday Night Live and his creation of the Ed Grimley and Jiminy Glick characters are explored, as is his initial foray into film with ¡Three Amigos! and his struggles to find box office success. But they’re mostly afterthoughts. Cross My Heart, the 1987 film where Short and Kasdan first met, gets a single mention.
Instead, the film focuses on Short’s relationship with his family and friends. To say that Short might be one of the most beloved men in Hollywood is an understatement. The man is clearly adored by everyone around him. In addition to Short, the film features a parade of celebrities that includes Steve Martin, Steven Spielberg, Eugene Levy, Tom Hanks, Paul Shaffer, Andrea Martin, John Mulaney, and the late Catherine O’Hara. Every single one of these individuals seems to have one thing in common: they adore Martin Short. They love being around him and love the joy that he brings into their lives.
A friendly lens.
Photo Credit: Netflix
It’s also extremely obvious that Kasdan loves Martin Short. Despite having firmly planted himself behind the camera, his love for his friend is apparent in every scene. And what makes Marty, Life Is Short work so well is that Kasdan wants every viewer to walk away loving Martin Short just as much as he does. Short’s accomplishments as an actor and as a comedian are relative afterthoughts because we are meant to learn not about Martin Short the Celebrity, but Martin Short the Friend.
The most compelling element here involves Short’s relationship with tragedy, which appears to have followed him wherever he goes. He lost his brother, mother, and father during his teen years. He lost his wife Nancy Dolman to ovarian cancer. Following the production of this film he lost his daughter Katherine to suicide. But this is not the story of Martin Short the Sufferer. This is the story of Martin Short the Friend. So even the time spent talking about tragedy is focused on Short’s relentless effervescence.
If there is a lesson to be learned from Martin Short, it is in his ability to find joy always. His happiness is not a happy accident or a pleasant coincidence; It’s who Martin Short is. He loves his family. He loves his friends. And since he is surrounded by the people he loves, he is able to find joy even in the bleakest of moments. And he is able to spread that joy to those around them, allowing them joy in their bleakest moments as well.
The bottom line.
At 100 minutes, this does feel meandering at times. It very likely would have been more effective with a more judicial hand in the editing room. But Kasdan’s main priority is clearly getting viewers to love his friend. To that end, he is wildly successful. Marty, Life Is Short will leave you loving Martin Short. More so, it will leave you with joy.
Marty, Life Is Short is now streaming on Netflix. Watch the trailer here.
Images courtesy of Netflix. Read more reviews by Brogan Luke Bouwhuis here.
REVIEW RATING
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Marty, Life Is Short - 7/10
7/10
Brogan Luke Bouwhuis is a writer and film programmer whose frequent pop culture deep dives have allowed him to write about everything from the Richard Gere gerbil rumor to the history of the holiday yule log video. He co-hosts the Franchise Fiends podcast, co-captains the narrative shorts program at the Slamdance Film Festival, and co-created three children with his wife, Jessica.
