Carrie Fisher: Wishful Drinking

I've never been the biggest Carrie Fisher fan! I've loved her books and screenplays like the wonderful "Postcards From The Edge", but I've never really gone for Star Wars movies.

Still, I adore her personality and strengths. This act is hysterically funny and moving! I simply love her charm and wit. She never wallows in self-pity like so many other movie stars. She can look back on her problems and make something funny out of them, which is something I always encourage. Why take life so seriously?

Also, who knew she had such a lovely singing voice? Why hasn't she ever done a movie musical or done something on Broadway. The Great White Way is ready for you, my dear!

Why sit down and explain it? Just go out there and rent or buy it! It's a terrific hour and a half of fun!

The 1-2 punch of Carrie Fisher's and Debbie Reynolds' deaths was a fitting, but tragic, end to a year unprecedented in the number of famous/recognizable people who passed on. And for nerds, Carrie's death cut especially deep. As is the case when a celebrity dies, interest in their work surges for a time as people re-explore (or discover for the first time) why we fell in love with these people in the first place. Like most people, I'm familiar with Carrie Fisher through her work as Princess Leia in the Star Wars franchise, but only recently did I realize that she was a prolific writer. WISHFUL DRINKING was her first directly autobiographical work, based on a life which many people might envy if it weren't for all of the mental illness, drug addiction, etc. And based on this stand-up special, she was also a brilliant comedienne. Essentially a chronological overview of her life, it was filled with hilarious anecdotes and delivered with her trademark self-deprecation. Rarely have laughter and sadness coexisted so closely. And now that she's gone, the ending takes on a new poignancy. If you're a Carrie Fisher fan, I highly recommend checking this out if you haven't already (and her books, too).

Carrie Fisher does an one-woman show in front of an adoring crowd. She starts with a story of finding a friend dead in her bed five years ago. Somehow, she makes it funny. Then she brings out a big board trying to decipher the relationship of her parents Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds with their connection to Elizabeth Taylor and their various marriages. This is probably the highlight for me. She also brings in her own failed marriage, her family, her addiction, and her mental struggles. Her father Eddie Fisher would die 3 months after the taping. Her raspy dry wit works for the most part especially when she's interacting with the audience. Her monotone voice does grate as the show keeps going. Overall, Carrie is very sassy, charismatic, and scary honest about her life.

For some odd reason I never was aware of Carrie's "Wishful Drinking" show before after her untimely passing. So when I did happen to find it, I jumped at the chance to watch this. And I was sort of thrilled, because I have never seen her perform in something like this, much less did I actually know that she also did this kind of work.

It turned out that "Wishful Drinking" was a nice show on a couple of different levels. First and foremost, it was nice and open view into Carrie's life, past and struggles, and she didn't really wrap much in bubble wrap. And it was also a fun show, with a good amount of laughs and enjoyment.

I was genuinely surprised to see Carrie do this, and must admit that she excelled at it, and she felt very much at home on the stage. Watching "Wishful Drinking" does offer a good look into the real Carrie Fisher, especially if you haven't read her autobiographies beforehand. There are some very personal issues being aired, and they are delivered with honesty and often an approach that is spiced up with a pinch of comedy.

Now, this is not a stand-up comedy routine, so you should not expect that kind of show if you sit down to watch this without knowing what it is about.

"Wishful Drinking" is a very honest show, and one that all fans of Carrie Fisher should take the time to watch.

I'm surprised with such negative reviews here. In a time where we are bombarded with so-called reality TV I find this one woman show has put the "real" in reality TV. Carrie Fisher covers her life from the beginning through current times leaving nothing to the imagination. This is certainly not a perfect world and she shows us her faults as well as those who have been a part of life. Given how far her family tree reaches into the world of celebrity it's amazing she has any scope of the real world. The show is at times sad as well as unbelievable. I didn't find it to be cruel, rude or obnoxious in any way. What is here is her life story filled with good times and bad, as all of us have, though hers has been in the public eye. Ms Fisher purposefully gives us plenty of under and overtones of comedy, be it tragic or all out slapstick. An enjoyable show to say the least.