You Can Call Me Bill

I love the original series of Star Trek. It is without question my favorite TV show. I have been to Star Trek conventions and watched the episodes countless times. And yes, not all the episodes are great or even good, but many are truly amazing in both their time and ours. Many very talented people worked on the show, but I think two contributors really set the tone: Gene Roddenberry for his vision, and William Shatner for his commanding presence -- he WAS the Captain of the Enterprise.

All this being said, this movie has little to do with Star Trek, and everything to do with an amazing actor who is just entering his 93rd year. Happy birthday Bill! Yes, there are clips from Star Trek and many of his other roles, and yes it's true that this documentary is not presented in a conventional, linear fashion. But what really springs to life is the thinking and the spirituality of a man who cares deeply for his planet and all the life on it. And what could be truer to Star Trek than that?

If you're looking for a documentary about the great life of William Shatner this isn't it. I was hoping for a real documentary that would cover his early life, his acting breaks, early TV roles, Star Trek, his marriages etc. But nothing of that is covered. Instead we get a LOT of boring ecological statements that will be forgotten a second after you hear them. I wanted to hear about his relationship with Leonard Nimoy, Gene Roddenberry and the other ST castmates. Again none of that is covered. The one thing in its favor is that they have a lot of wonderful clips from his long career. If you can stream this without paying for it (unlike me), take a look and see if you agree with me.

To be fair, I'm pretty sure it was the editing and directing that made William Shatner comes across as a rambling old man, in the fact that the narrative jumps all over the place. The film is has chapters, but each and every one seems to fall short of telling a coherent story. We get some glimpses into his past, there are some stories that would have been great to learn more about, but instead of details we're left with just his reflections. The film also relies on a bunch of b-roll, some of which is great, but other times is pretty confusing or awkward. Sadly, I walked learning very little about the specifics of Shatner's life and career.

William Shatner - he likes to be called Bill - has had an accomplished career. One where he has reinvented himself several times over transforming from Kirk to Hooker to Crane. From author to spokesman to astronaut to ...singer (and no, you do not need to imbibe on Romulan ale to enjoy his rocking "Common People" single from 2004). If anyone deserves a curtain call, Bill Shatner gets my vote. The documentary You Can Call Me Bill is a partial answer to such a victory lap. For over 90 minutes, Bill reminisces, waxes poetic, and frets on the future. Sometimes simultaneously. Often in a stream of consciousness. However, if You Can Call Me Bill is designed as a celebration, why does it come across as aimless as your grandfather commiserating about current events over Thanksgiving dinner?

Albeit a grandfather who happens to be Captain Kirk.

You Can Call Me Bill becomes a preemptive eulogy of sorts. For Shatner fans of all sizes, the movie is accessible and entertaining. Yet all of that humor, all of that love of life are only shown in the clips that the world has already enjoyed and celebrated. You Can Call Me Bill instead focuses on the solitary life of a solo man. Sitting in the dark. Waiting for the final curtain to close.

Yes, profound. It's high time someone influential in Hollywood championed Earth. But besides adopting the planet, "Bill" talks about his career and going into orbit on Blue Origin's New Shepard when he became the oldest human to go into space.

The documentary was not a constant barrage of William Shatner shots and film clips, but also some stunning shots of our planet, both from space and redwood forests. Some of the photos and videos are breathtakingly beautiful. Simultaneously exhilarating and calming. The director, Alexandre O. Philippe, obviously knows what he's doing.

The one thing that shocked me though, as I thought I knew a lot about Bill, was what happened after Star Trek (the original series) was cancelled. No spoilers here, but, wow. I was shocked.