Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution

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Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution

2024

1h 39m

Documentary

LGBTQ+

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

100%

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10 Reviews

73%

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution is the first feature length documentary to explore the history of queer stand up comedy. The documentary considers the importance of LGBTQ+ stand up as a driver of social change over the past five decades, actively reflecting and challenging cultural norms and values. Ultimately, the film reveals that queer comedians -- whether they intended to or not -- helped change the world, one joke at a time.

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Don Aucoin

Boston Globe

09/03/2024

If you doubt that representation matters all that much, watch “Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution.”

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David Rooney

The Hollywood Reporter

06/19/2024

Outstanding makes a persuasive, highly entertaining case that the evolution of queer comedy is inextricably bound to broader developments in representation, and that emerging next-gen queer comics could learn a lot from their forebears.

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Chris Azzopardi

New York Times

06/18/2024

Hurwitz examines comedy’s place in the L.G.B.T.Q. movement in... “Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution,” creating a rich, century-long timeline full of archival footage, behind-the-scenes glimpses and candid interviews with comedians.

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Vera Wylde

Council of Geeks

01/25/2025

While it's not the deepest thing in the world, it's a good foundational start to go more into (queer comedians).

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Jen Shieff

New Zealand Herald

01/09/2025

4/5

Plenty here to inspire a new generation of LGBTQIA+ comics, thought-provoking and highly entertaining for the mature general public.

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Tim Miller

Cape Cod Wave Magazine

08/17/2024

3/4

Highlights include a rare, controversial clip of Richard Pryor confronting a gay audience and a look at the career of Robin Tyler, the first lesbian or gay comic to come out on national TV.

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Kyle B

@RT57188832 01/03/2025

I am not sure who gave this person her job in comedy, but every one of the things she has produced has been absolute trash.

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Jens B

@Jens97 11/28/2024

🌈 Good and important, entertaining and informative. I really enjoyed the special from two years ago, but here comes the big but: While it’s true that Netflix deserves credit for making all of this possible, why do I only see a fraction of these comedians on Netflix? Why does it have to remain a one-time thing? Why not create an ongoing queer variety show? You don’t need big names, just talent. Surely it can’t be that hard, can it?

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Page Hurwitz

Director

Tig Notaro

Self

Sandra Bernhard

Self

Suzy Eddie Izzard

Self

Colin Devenish

Producer

Lisa Singer Haese

Producer

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Synopsis

Outstanding: A Comedy Revolution is the first feature length documentary to explore the history of queer stand up comedy. The documentary considers the importance of LGBTQ+ stand up as a driver of social change over the past five decades, actively reflecting and challenging cultural norms and values. Ultimately, the film reveals that queer comedians -- whether they intended to or not -- helped change the world, one joke at a time.

Director: Page Hurwitz
Producer: Colin Devenish, Lisa Singer Haese, Sharon Houston
Distributor: Netflix
Production Co: Brian Graden Media, Push It Productions
Genre: Documentary, LGBTQ+, Comedy
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 18, 2024
Runtime: 1h 39m