‘I Ain’t Scared of You’ pays tribute to Bernie Mac

Bernie Mac, the domineering and cutting-edge comedian whose life was taken too soon, receives a heartfelt sendoff by family and friends in the new documentary, I Ain’t Scared of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac. Robert Small’s film, which uses Mac’s daughter as an interviewer, is not terribly deep or revelatory, but it serves its purpose.

Running only 61 minutes, the film focuses on Mac’s rise from Chicago poverty to the very top of the comedy world. We hear from Chris Rock, Angela Bassett, Zoe Saldana, Tom Arnold, Cameron Diaz, Steven Soderbergh, Bill Bellamy and Carl Reiner, among many others. Two other “Original Kings of Comedy” make appearances (D.L. Hughley and Cedric the Entertainer), although Steve Harvey is oddly missing.

All of the reminiscing is funny and, at times, even moving. These aren’t eulogies for Mac, but fond memories of a good man with a killer sense of humor. The best tales come from Mac’s widow and Rock, a personal friend. In their recollections we receive a better portrait of who this man was and what made him tick.

The best archival footage comes from the comedian’s pre-fame days, working the clubs and theaters in his native Chicago. Some of his earliest bits are hilarious, uncensored and clearly influential of his later career. Mac would use music, abrupt assertions, some dance moves and an inflated proclivity to violence (all in good fun) to tell visual stories like the best of them. Audiences over his 25 years in the business ate up the material.

Not all of the celebrity interviews are insightful. Diaz meanders during her conversation, and Andy Garcia doesn’t add much. But Reiner is a legend and has some nice comments to say about his experiences working on the Ocean’s 11 movies with Mac.

What’s largely missing from I Ain’t Scared of You are details. We understand that he came from Chicago, but his upbringing is only dealt with in a roundabout manner. Similarly, the only mention of his death is some footage from his memorial service. There’s not even a brief explanation of what he died of and how his family has dealt with the loss in the intervening years.

Small focuses on the good memories from the comedian’s life, deciding to stick to laughs rather than tears. Although that’s admirable (and perhaps appropriate), it doesn’t let the viewer understand the full picture of this man. A more conventional biographical film would have been appreciated, something that would look back both in tribute and with an historian’s eye. Mac, hugely influential among black comics, deserves to be placed in a greater context. Hearing from his celebrity friends is all well and good, but the man and his body of work need a more permanent legacy. His stand-up work and his hugely successful television show demand something more than a 61-minute letter from other famous people.

Again, the strongest part of the film are the early comedy segments where Mac works endlessly on the stage, trying to bring himself some notoriety. This clever man with an unending devotion to his family did it the old-fashioned way: He grabbed the microphone, looked into the spotlight and made people laugh so hard it hurt.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• I Ain’t Scared of You: A Tribute to Bernie Mac

• 2012

• Directed by Robert Small

• Featuring Anthony Anderson, Tom Arnold, Angela Bassett, Bill Bellamy, Cedric the Entertainer, Don Cheadle, Cameron Diaz, Mike Epps, Andy Garcia, D.L. Hughley, Warren Hutcherson, Samuel L. Jackson, Ali LeRoi, Je’niece McCullough, Rhonda McCullough, Carl Reiner, Chris Rock, Zoe Saldana, Kellita Smith, Steven Soderbergh, Joe Torry and Camille Winbush

• Running time: 61 minutes

• Not Rated

• Rating: