Last week, Bill Nye, directors David Alvarado and Jason Sussberg, executive producer Henry S. Rosenthal, and producer Seth Gordon celebrated the premiere of the PBS documentary, BILL NYE: SCIENCE GUY. The evening was supported by PBS SoCal and The Planetary Society.
Additional guests who came out to support included Noël Wells, Robert Picardo, Rio Mangini, Violett Beane, Jamie Costa, Amra Ricketts, Genevieve Morton, Josh Sussman, Wes Johnson, Kate Crash, GloZell Green, Daniel Fernandez, Eyelid Kid, Mari Takahashi Following the screening, Bill Nye, David Alvarado, and Jason Sussberg participated in a q&a moderated by Nerdist’s Kyle Hill.
The film is an exclusive look at the man behind the “science guy” that, for fans of both Bill and science, is a must see. It’s a unique look at what made, and arguably still makes, Bill one of the most beloved scientists and children’s hosts around the world. It features Bill on a journey to shed his skin as a scientist for kids and be taken seriously as a scientist for adults. It’s quite interesting to learn more about his life and his struggles; the film is at its most interesting when the camera catches him open and vulnerable. Not to say that the film doesn’t feature Nye’s familiar brand of quirky comedy, it does, but there’s something deeper to this portrayal of America’s most famous scientist; something we haven’t seen in Nye before. For that reason alone, the film warrants a look. But Nye and collaborators hope that’s not all people will take away from the film. They hope that viewers will follow along, too, as he attempts to change the minds of those they say aren’t “using scientific thinking.” “We’re releasing this film in another [version of America],” co-director Jason Sussberg exclaimed. “–Where the President doesn’t [even] believe in climate change.” And, while that storyline is at times entertaining, climate change vs. climate change deniers; intelligent design vs. evolution, the film benefits most from its portrait of Nye’s humanness. We see a glimpse into the mind of the man behind arguably one of America’s favorite scientists, and that, in my humble opinion, is worth the price of admission.
The film opened theatrically on November 10th, exclusively at Landmark Nuart.
