Hot Docs

To be negative or not to appear to be negative, that is the question. Viewing his life in three acts, director Alan Zweig tackles his second act—the “bitter years”—with fellow ‘sour, angry, miserablist truth-tellers’ Fran Lebowitz, Harvey Pekar, Scott Thompson and Bruce LaBruce. Zweig analyzes the fallout of his negativity, shaving it down and focusing its meaning with the help of hilarious and honest insights from his raucous cast of misfits. Is being a naysayer in our sickeningly positive society worth the social risks? Can the uncompromising and opinionated be successful and happy? Or is the act of being critical and outspoken—read as being negative—a moral position and a challenge to truth that goes without reward? Call them sad, grumpy complainers, but more likely you’ll refer to them as thoughtful heroes by the end of the film. And you might just want to join the tribe. Angie Driscoll

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• torontoist Feature