Director Morgan Neville is behind the Steve Martin documentary, having previously provided wonderful insight into Fred Rogers and the seminal children’s program “Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood” with his documentary “Won’t You Be My Neighbor.” Honestly, Steve Martin kinda feels like the Mr. Rogers of comedy, so Neville feels like the perfect person to tackle this project.
As you can see in the trailer, the documentary also features talking heads from some fairly prominent pop culture figures. Fellow stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld sings the praises of Steve Martin, while “Baby Mama” co-star Tina Fey talks about the characters he’s played over the years. Personally, I’m very excited to see Martin Short’s part in all of this. Having known Martin for years, surely he’ll have both the nicest and funniest things to say about the legendary comic. Other notable names include “Father of the Bride” co-star Diane Keaton and “Only Murders in the Building” co-star Selena Gomez.
But beyond the usual star-centric retrospective commentary, this also looks like an intimate glimpse into the life of Martin, who struggled with a lot of anxiety when he was younger. It’s only hinted at in the trailer among the usual touchstones of Martin’s career, but it promises to be much more than a glossy glimpse at the career many are familiar with. For anyone who has read Martin’s biography “Born Standing Up,” you know that his rise to fame is an interesting story, though one that is filled with plenty of personal hurdles. I’m sure this documentary will dig into those fascinating facets of his life.
“STEVE! (martin) a documentary in 2 pieces” will hit Apple TV+ on March 29, 2024.