You Might Remember Me: The Life And Times Of Phil Hartman (2014) - Plot & Excerpts
I'll never forget the moment I learned about this man's death. It was the tail end of my freshman year at college, where I was an optimistic Theatre major, just about to head to one of my acting classes. My roommate was in the living room watching TV, and called out, "hey, who's Phil Hartman again?" I replied he was on "Saturday Night Live" and did voices on "The Simpsons." "Oh, yeah," she said. "Why?" I asked, a big fan, hoping to hear something cool. "He's dead." My first thought was a car accident, or worse, a drug overdose. I joined her at the couch, and said, "what?.. how?" "His wife killed him and then killed herself." It was insane and nonsensical. I headed to class, walking somberly across the river, joining my classmates at the theatre building, all of them already in the loop, looking really bummed. I saw my crush, and said to him, "Phil's dead," not even needing to say his last name. He looked at his shoes and said, "yeah. What the fuck?" This was one of those celebrity deaths that really hit my generation hard. We were teenagers when this guy was a cast member of two of the coolest shows around, and we loved his impressions. Even nowadays, when people do a Bill McNeal, Troy McClure, or Lionel Hutz line, I feel an undercurrent of sadness in the following laughter. This man could've had a much longer career. Perhaps he could've gone beyond his voice-work and sitcom work; but if he'd stayed there, it still would've been a memorable, satisfying career. He would only be 65 right now. Most importantly, he could've been there for his two young children, orphaned in the course of one terrible night.This book was a long time coming. Phil Hartman was killed 16 years ago, but he's so ubiquitous it feels like just yesterday. I feel the same way about John Candy, now gone for 20 years; but because his output was so incredible, it's mind-boggling to realize he's been gone for so long. Author Mike Thomas gained intimate access to some very important people in Phil's life: his beloved brothers John and Paul, his first and second wives, Gretchen and Lisa, and of course many friends and co-stars who were willing to share "warts-and-all" revelations about this lovable man. Cassandra ("Elvira") Peterson, Jon Lovitz, Julia Sweeney, and the late Jan Hooks all shed new light on his relationships to his friends, cast members, children, and of course, Brynn. The troubled, misunderstood Brynn Hartman made a terrible decision in a fit of rage--one she instantly regretted, running to a friend's home in the middle of the night to confess and beg for help. Most of the people interviewed seem to have forgiven Brynn over the years. They think she had a lot of psychological issues that were only exacerbated by on-and-off drug and alcohol abuse, and she didn't feel in control of her own life. She was a stay-at-home mom who wanted to be an actress, a woman who often felt bored and stuck in the shadow of her famous husband, and who, it is alleged, didn't feel very appreciated or respected by Phil for keeping the home fires burning, the kids fed and cared for, or any of her own artistic or creative endeavors. We never really know what's going on in other people's marriages, and even though everyone who knew the Hartmans knew there was trouble, they never would've guessed it would end in a grisly murder-suicide. God, how could they?My only gripe with this book is much of it was a rehash of all the same old stories we've heard since 1998. If you've ever read any article about Phil Hartman, or watched any sordid E! or Bravo! programs about THAT NIGHT, most of this information is repetition. I'd heard many of these anecdotes before, so I found myself skimming. The best parts were when Thomas pulled stories and musings from Phil's brother John and longtime, non-actor friends--people who watched Phil grow up, or watched him grow into his 30's and 40's. He loved Brynn. She loved him. They loved their children. It's still a sad story, and I still went, wow, it's been 16 years? To Thomas' credit, this was a page turner. I think I read the last 200 pages in a sitting. So he was doing something right. However, the book has two major flaws:1) It appears that a lot of people didn't talk to Thomas. Page 303 features a long list thanking the people it looks like Thomas spoke with. Some notable omissions include: Dana Carvey, Jon Lovitz, and Lorne Michaels. As is, the book is a collection of disjointed anecdotes that produces the effect of "Phil was a laid-back down-to-earth guy ... except when he wasn't."Some of the people who talked to Thomas seemed tangentially acquainted to Hartman at best. For instance, Thomas highlights how Ed Begley Jr. reacted to Hartman's death by immediately turning Begley's personal shotgun into the police. I read that and thought, "Who cares?" Begley knew Hartman better than I did, but they didn't sound terribly close, and the gun anecdote came off as an irrelevant political aside.Part of the appeal of reading a book like this is hearing stories from someone's famous friends. On that score, Thomas disappoints.2) There is a damning passage on page 76 that says of Hartman, "There was no there, there." With some people, what you see is what you get. But they don't make great biographical subjects.I read the book because I'm a fan of Hartman's and I loved "The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts." I was hoping to learn more about Hartman's career, his time at SNL, and his untimely death. By those standards, Thomas doesn't disappoint: Hartman grew up in LA and joined the Groundlings, one of SNL's famous feeder troupes. The SNL stories were somewhat sparse, especially since Thomas didn't talk to many people there. Hartman's murder is fleshed out in greater detail than I previously knew. Hartman had a history of volatile, operatic relationships. His wife sounded bipolar and was under the influence of drugs and alcohol.I'm reminded of "Inside Llewyn Davis." Hartman was a great talent, an outstanding SNL cast member, but he was not fated for the Adam Sandler/Mike Myers/Will Ferrell track. He didn't have the magnetism of those stars. Perhaps Thomas' underwhelming book is a fair reflection of his subject.
What do You think about You Might Remember Me: The Life And Times Of Phil Hartman (2014)?
Very informative book about an extremely talented man. Sad story.
—Samcal
In an effort not to be salacious, this book is just rather dull.
—Nerd33
Interesting story on Phil Hartman. Sad but good book!
—Buttub123
