A review of "Gonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson [Theatrical Release]" — 18 weeks ago
Dr. Thompson was an asshole. This movie follows Hunter’s life, paying a lot of attention to his greatest books: Hell’s Angels, Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ‘72 and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. After around 1980, he devolves into this bloated Elvis circa 1970s character. He does so much drugs and screws so many women, his wife divorces him. His son has few kind words for him. His celebrity ate him alive, but his fans still celebrated his gaudy funeral: shot from a cannon on his sprawling Colorado estate. I thought this movie would inspire me to continue pursuing journalism. It did not.
Still, it was great to see footage of the 60s, a time when a freak journalist had a place and America craved the ultimate rock star journalist. I wish there was less footage of Johnny Depp playing him in the film adaption of Vegas and more from his family about the man behind the legend. Still, accounts from illustrator Ralph Stedman, his editor at Rolling Stone and his first wife painted a picture of the drug-fueled, gun-toting freak who set out to change the world and, at some point, gave up. It was intense to hear Ralph Stedman tell the tale of how he was a no show at the Muhammad Ali/George Foreman “fight of the century” to splash around in the hotel swimming pool.
The message I took from it was to be a good family man and lay off the drugs but think big. The late Dr. Thompson had no qualms about focusing on the fat and greedy sports fans at the Kentucky Derby and paying little attention to the race. He also had no qualms about spreading a rumor that a presidential candidate was addicted to a rare mind-altering drug for no good reason.
The world will miss his balls-to-the-wall, half-factual, all-accurate reporting and gripping prose. His family and friends probably will not miss his fits of rage, binge drinking and senseless gun shots into the air.
