Educational Media Reviews Online

James Thurber, celebrated writer and cartoonist, takes center stage in this documentary. With photographs and film of his life and works, his story comes alive. In addition, a number of experts give their insights: writers, humorists, Thurber’s biographer, his daughter, and a former New Yorker editor.

Ultimately Thurber’s life story is sad, and not just because of his struggles with blindness and alcoholism in later years. This comic genius did not accept his area of talent; he wanted to be a great novelist. The film captures this attitude and its implications. The documentary proceeds linearly, with much time spent on his boyhood and young adulthood in Columbus, Ohio, and the influence of his mother on his humor. His years in New York, and especially his work for three decades at The New Yorker, are well-covered. Fans of his cartoons will appreciate the many drawings and captions shown; book covers, article titles, and headlines feature his numerous written works. Period music makes an appropriate background. The scenes in Columbus and New York, plus filmed interviews with Thurber, add authenticity to the documentary. The editing in all of this is seamless.

Some time is spent on Thurber’s most famous story, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty. The 1947 film gets good treatment, while the TV series is mentioned. The date of this documentary, of course, precludes any mention of the more recent film, released in 2013.

The evocative photos, many drawings, and enlightening interviews make this documentary interesting as well as informative. It would be appropriate for colleges, especially art or journalism classes. And public libraries may also want to consider for The New Yorker fans, as well as those with an interest in James Thurber and his works.