Review by Lars Lindahl (larsattacks@mail.com)
"King Gimp" (1999)
Grade: A
Directed by Susan Hannah Hadary and William A. Whiteford
"Most people think 'gimp' means someone with a lame walk. But 'gimp' also means a 'fighting spirit.'"
And Dan Keplinger easily fits that role. His determination, courage, and strength won filmmakers Susan Hannah Hadary and William A. Whiteford Academy Awards for Best Documentary Short and won the hearts of millions of viewers according to the voluminous message board on the official HBO site. King Gimp is thirteen-years-condensed-to-forty-minutes in the life of Keplinger, a passionate and intent student who has suffered from cerebral palsy since birth. Formerly unable to write his name on a piece of paper, Keplinger miraculously builds the patience and skill levels to paint (using a paint brush attached to a helmet on his head) elaborate pictures that impress initial skeptics. Developing adversity and friendships along the way, Keplinger fights to become a professional artist.
A feel-good film minus Robin Williams and a thunderously cliched score, King Gimp boldly uses Keplinger as narrator. Mainly from him typing on a keyboard, his words surpass your everyday monotonous voice-over. Sporadically discussing love, life, and the pursuit of happiness, this documentary depends on its visuals to consume its audience - and each frame is as hypnotizing as the next. Every time Keplinger's motivated eyes look into the camera, the word 'king' immediately comes to mind.
As a supplement to the film, visit www.hbo.com/kinggimp for a better understanding of cerebral palsy, how amazing his artwork his, how insightful his words are, and how inspirational his story is.
Grade: A
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larsattacks@mail.com (c) 2000 Lars Lindahl
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