I debated writing a full-fledged, formal movie review for Beauty is Embarrassing, the documentary on artist and Pee-wee’s Playhouse puppeteer Wayne White that’s screening at the Olde North Charleston Picture House on Saturday night, hosted by the Park Circle Film Society. I could have, but it basically would have just been “THIS IS THE GREATEST MOVIE EVER” printed over and over and over again in a Jack Nicholson in The Shining-type fashion. Because holy crap, this movie was awesome.
Never has my heart burst out of joy so many times in a 90-minute span, except maybe when I saw Wall-E.
White is a banjo player, a painter of words, a sculptor, a puppeteer, and pretty much the coolest person ever. He grew up in Tennessee, drawing all the time, but didn’t find a place for himself until he studied art in college. Then he moved to New York, then he met the love of his life, then he worked for Pee-wee and moved to L.A., then he had to struggle for a bit, then he got famous again for his paintings. And while I’m dumbing it down to the dumbest degree, he pretty much is the coolest person ever. He’s so cool I said it twice.
Seriously. Go see it. It’s inspiring and uplifting and funny and sweet, and it’ll make you want to get up, get out, and do something.
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