“Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” centers around the talk show host and comedian’s life between the time he left NBC (after his brief time hosting “The Tonight Show”) and when he started his new hosting gig on TBS.
O’Brien was obviously devastated after he got the boot from NBC, and part of the deal was that he couldn’t appear on TV, anywhere, for 6-months. So he decided to go on a nationwide comedy tour and friend/announcer Andy Richter and other members of his show joined him. This documentary focuses on O’Brien as he deals with his anger, frustration, exhaustion and his joy and excitement of being back in front of live audiences and his fans.
The movie is similar to last year’s “Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work” – which also provided a behind the scenes look at a comedian struggling to stay on top and continue to make people laughs. Both films show just how tough it is to be funny.
“Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” certainly provides a side of O’Brien that we never saw before. At times he is very tough with his staff members. Sometimes it’s in fun, other times it’s not. And we see how difficult it is to produce and host a traveling comedy show as opposed to a nightly studio show. The time away from his family, having to deal with celebrities back stage and signing autographs and posing for photos with fans after shows really wears him down.
I like O’Brien as a host. He can be funny (when he’s not too raunchy or over-the-top silly). And he seems like a nice guy, with a lot of guts and determination. But after seeing this movie I’m not sure I’d ever want to work for him. Of course, since he and everyone else knew when the cameras were rolling it’s tough to know just how “true” some of the dialogue really is.
Sprinkled throughout the film are clips from his act taken from different shows as the tour moved around the country. But this is not a concert film and, frankly, the behind the scenes scenes are much more interesting than the comedy bits.
“Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” is rated R for language and adult material. It’s a must for fans of O’Brien but anyone who follows the world of entertainment will appreciate this look at a guy who was at the top, had it all taken away, and then battled back.
On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, “Conan O’Brien Can’t Stop” gets a B. It only played for a limited time in select theaters around the country earlier this summer and should get some attention on DVD and PPV.